Derrick Williams
Encyclopedia
Derrick Williams is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a free agent
. He was selected by the Detroit Lions
with the 18th pick of the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft
. He was a wide receiver and 2008 team captain
for the Penn State Nittany Lions
.
prospect of 2005, coming out of Eleanor Roosevelt High School
in Greenbelt, Maryland
. He received scholarship offers from more than 50 Division I schools. Relentless recruiting forced him to twice change his cell phone number. He was named Rivals.com
High School Junior of the Year in 2003, and was ranked as the number one recruit in the nation after his senior year.
Williams initially leaned towards attending the University of Florida
, but re-opened his recruitment after the firing of head coach Ron Zook
. He strongly considered offers from Texas
, Oklahoma
and Tennessee
, before announcing live on ESPN that he would attend Penn State. Penn State was coming off four losing seasons in five years, and head coach Joe Paterno
was under increasing pressure to retire
. Williams relished the challenge of returning the Penn State program to its former stature, saying "I did it because I trusted in [Paterno]. He promised me I could help turn the program around and leave my mark there, which I did."
, running back
,and wide receiver
. His touchdown catch late in Penn State's matchup with Northwestern
that year won the Lions
that game and was nominated for a Game-Changing Performance of the Year. It was part of an explosive, four-touchdown
start that was cut short by a broken arm he suffered during the Nittany Lions' October 15, 2005 loss against the University of Michigan
, the team's only loss that season.
The Sporting News
named Williams to the freshman All-Big Ten Conference
team despite having played just seven games in 2005. He was named to the preseason All-Big Ten second-team for the 2006 season by The Sporting News.http://www.gopsusports.com/Football/people/Player.cfm?rosterid=2824
In the 2006 year he returned at wide receiver for the Nittany Lions, but registered just two touchdowns all season. He played both running back and wideout in the Outback Bowl
, helping Penn State to a 20-10 win against Tennessee
.
He began the 2007 season with only 6 catches for 45 yards in his first two games, but had an electrifying 78 yard punt return touchdown against Notre Dame, his second career special teams touchdown. He ended the season with 55 receptions for 529 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 16 rushing attempts for 101 yards and a touchdown. He had a season high ten catches for 95 yards and one Touchdown vs. in a 26-19 win over Purdue.
Prior to the 2008 season, Williams was nominated to the Maxwell
and Biletnikoff Award watchlists.
Williams became the first player under the coaching of Joe Paterno
to score a touchdown on a catch, run and kick return in the same game, when he accomplished the feat against the Illinois Fighting Illini
on September 27, 2008. The Nittany Lions won the game 38-24. Williams was named the Big Ten special teams player of the week following the Nittany Lions victory. At the end of the 2008 season
, he was named a first team All-Big Ten selection. He ended the season with 44 catches for 485 yards and a career high four touchdown receptions. In his final game, the 2009 Rose Bowl
loss to Southern California
, he had a fourth quarter touchdown reception.
.
. He signed a three-year contract with the team on July 29, 2009. Williams was waived by the Lions on September 3, 2011.
. The two first met during Arrington's stint with the Washington Redskins
, when Williams was playing high school football in nearby Greenbelt, Maryland
.
Arrington gave Williams the nickname "Jesus Shuttlesworth," after the lead character—a highly-coveted high school recruit—in Spike Lee
's He Got Game
.
Williams trains with an athletic group known as The Stable, with whom he has worked out since he was 10 years old, working on speed
, agility
, and endurance
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was selected by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
with the 18th pick of the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He was a wide receiver and 2008 team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
.
High school
Williams was widely regarded as the top high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
prospect of 2005, coming out of Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Greenbelt, Maryland)
Eleanor Roosevelt High School , is a Maryland public magnet high school specializing in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering. The school was established in 1978 at its current location in Greenbelt, Maryland and is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system...
in Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
. He received scholarship offers from more than 50 Division I schools. Relentless recruiting forced him to twice change his cell phone number. He was named Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
High School Junior of the Year in 2003, and was ranked as the number one recruit in the nation after his senior year.
Williams initially leaned towards attending the University of Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, but re-opened his recruitment after the firing of head coach Ron Zook
Ron Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
. He strongly considered offers from Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, before announcing live on ESPN that he would attend Penn State. Penn State was coming off four losing seasons in five years, and head coach Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
was under increasing pressure to retire
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
. Williams relished the challenge of returning the Penn State program to its former stature, saying "I did it because I trusted in [Paterno]. He promised me I could help turn the program around and leave my mark there, which I did."
College career
As a true freshman, Williams was spectacular at quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
,and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. His touchdown catch late in Penn State's matchup with Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
that year won the Lions
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
that game and was nominated for a Game-Changing Performance of the Year. It was part of an explosive, four-touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
start that was cut short by a broken arm he suffered during the Nittany Lions' October 15, 2005 loss against the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, the team's only loss that season.
The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
named Williams to the freshman All-Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
team despite having played just seven games in 2005. He was named to the preseason All-Big Ten second-team for the 2006 season by The Sporting News.http://www.gopsusports.com/Football/people/Player.cfm?rosterid=2824
In the 2006 year he returned at wide receiver for the Nittany Lions, but registered just two touchdowns all season. He played both running back and wideout in the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
, helping Penn State to a 20-10 win against Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
.
He began the 2007 season with only 6 catches for 45 yards in his first two games, but had an electrifying 78 yard punt return touchdown against Notre Dame, his second career special teams touchdown. He ended the season with 55 receptions for 529 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 16 rushing attempts for 101 yards and a touchdown. He had a season high ten catches for 95 yards and one Touchdown vs. in a 26-19 win over Purdue.
Prior to the 2008 season, Williams was nominated to the Maxwell
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and Biletnikoff Award watchlists.
Williams became the first player under the coaching of Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
to score a touchdown on a catch, run and kick return in the same game, when he accomplished the feat against the Illinois Fighting Illini
2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook. The Illini played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois...
on September 27, 2008. The Nittany Lions won the game 38-24. Williams was named the Big Ten special teams player of the week following the Nittany Lions victory. At the end of the 2008 season
2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.-Previous season:...
, he was named a first team All-Big Ten selection. He ended the season with 44 catches for 485 yards and a career high four touchdown receptions. In his final game, the 2009 Rose Bowl
2009 Rose Bowl
The 2009 Rose Bowl, the 95th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. Because of sponsorship by Citi, the first game in the 2009 edition of the Bowl Championship Series was officially titled...
loss to Southern California
2008 USC Trojans football team
The 2008 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2008–2009...
, he had a fourth quarter touchdown reception.
2009 NFL Draft
At the 2009 NFL Combine, Williams ran 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He recorded a slower time than anticipated partly because he had the flu. Williams was selected 82nd overall by the Detroit Lions. He is represented by fellow Penn-Stater Chafie FieldsChafie Fields
Chafie Ali Fields is a sports and talent agent. He is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played college football at Penn State University....
.
Detroit Lions
Williams was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round (#82 overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
. He signed a three-year contract with the team on July 29, 2009. Williams was waived by the Lions on September 3, 2011.
Personal
Williams has a longtime friendship with former Nittany Lion linebacker LaVar ArringtonLaVar Arrington
LaVar RaShad Arrington is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League. He was drafted second overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State for coach Joe Paterno.A two-time All-American at Penn State, Arrington played...
. The two first met during Arrington's stint with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, when Williams was playing high school football in nearby Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
.
Arrington gave Williams the nickname "Jesus Shuttlesworth," after the lead character—a highly-coveted high school recruit—in Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
's He Got Game
He Got Game
He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife...
.
Williams trains with an athletic group known as The Stable, with whom he has worked out since he was 10 years old, working on speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
, agility
Agility
* Agility is a physical trait of an animal or person, and a component of physical fitness. It is the ability to change the body's position and direction with speed and precision.Agility may also refer to:In Sport:...
, and endurance
Endurance
Endurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
.
External links
- "Derrick Williams player bio" gopsusports.com, July 25, 2006.
- "Lions rookie: Keep dreaming, learning", Jo-Ann Barnas, Detroit Free PressDetroit Free PressThe Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, June 13, 2009.