Ryan Williams (American football)
Encyclopedia
Ryan Williams is an American football
running back
for the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at Virginia Tech
and was drafted
in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft
.
in Manassas, Virginia
. He was the starting tailback all four years. He finished with over 3,000 rushing yards, including 1,574 yards as a junior.
suffered a season-ending ACL
injury. Through thirteen games he rushed for 1,655 yards on 293 carries, scored 21 touchdowns, and broke multiple Virginia Tech and ACC rushing records in the process - including Virginia Tech's single season rushing yards record, the ACC single season rushing touchdown record, and the ACC single season touchdown record with 22 touchdowns. He began the 2010 season as a starter but injured his right hamstring in a game against East Carolina University and was out for four games before coming back against Duke.
On January 9, 2011, it was announced that Williams will give up his final 2 years of NCAA eligibility to make himself available for the 2011 NFL Draft.
, Williams was selected in the 2nd Round, 38th overall by the Arizona Cardinals
.
On August 19, 2011 during a pre-season football game against the Packers, Williams was injured early in the third quarter in his first run of the game. He suffered from a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee, and will be out for the 2011 season.
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...
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...
for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
and was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
.
Early years
Williams attended Stonewall Jackson High SchoolStonewall Jackson High School (Manassas, Virginia)
Stonewall Jackson High School is a public secondary school in unincorporated Prince William County, Virginia, United States, near the city of Manassas....
in Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
. He was the starting tailback all four years. He finished with over 3,000 rushing yards, including 1,574 yards as a junior.
College career
As a freshman at Virginia Tech in 2008, Williams was redshirted. As a redshirt freshman in 2009, Williams took over as starting running back after starter Darren EvansDarren Evans
Darren Evans is an American football running back who is currently on the Indianapolis Colts active roster. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Virginia Tech....
suffered a season-ending ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury. Through thirteen games he rushed for 1,655 yards on 293 carries, scored 21 touchdowns, and broke multiple Virginia Tech and ACC rushing records in the process - including Virginia Tech's single season rushing yards record, the ACC single season rushing touchdown record, and the ACC single season touchdown record with 22 touchdowns. He began the 2010 season as a starter but injured his right hamstring in a game against East Carolina University and was out for four games before coming back against Duke.
On January 9, 2011, it was announced that Williams will give up his final 2 years of NCAA eligibility to make himself available for the 2011 NFL Draft.
College Stats
| Year | Team | Att | Yards | Average | TDs | Receptions | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team The 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach is Frank Beamer. Prior to the season, the Hokies were expected to be in a rebuilding mode, recovering after the... |
Virginia Tech | |
||||||
| 2009 2009 Virginia Tech Hokies football team The 2009 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer... |
Virginia Tech | 293 | 1,655 | 5.6 | 21 | 16 | 180 | 1 |
| 2010 2010 Virginia Tech Hokies football team The 2010 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Hokies were led by 24th-year head coach Frank Beamer and played their home games at Lane Stadium... |
Virginia Tech | 110 | 477 | 4.3 | 9 | 10 | 109 | 1 |
| College Totals | 403 | 2,132 | 4.9 | 30 | 26 | 289 | 2 | |
Professional career
In the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, Williams was selected in the 2nd Round, 38th overall by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On August 19, 2011 during a pre-season football game against the Packers, Williams was injured early in the third quarter in his first run of the game. He suffered from a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee, and will be out for the 2011 season.