Tank Williams
Encyclopedia
Clevan "Tank" Williams (born June 30, 1980 in Gulfport, Mississippi
) is an American football
safety who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans
in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Stanford
.
Williams has also played for the Minnesota Vikings
and New England Patriots
.
in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
where he played football
as a safety as well as a quarterback
. He also played basketball
and ran track
all four years in high school. During high school he was also employed by the Winn-Dixie grocery store in Bay St. Louis where he worked as a bag boy.
According to Williams, his nickname came from his sister: as an infant, he drank so much milk that his sister suggested to his mother that his mother should give him a tank of milk instead of a bottle.
, where he played in 10 games as a true freshman in 1998. He started six games at free safety in 1999, and earned second-team All-Pacific-10 Conference honors as a junior. In his senior season, Williams was a first-team All-Pac-10 pick, becoming the first defensive back in school history to win national first-team honors.
, Williams started every game as a rookie for the Titans in 2002. He started every game in 2003 as well, posting 81 tackles, fourth on the Titans' defense that was best in the NFL against the run. His 2004 season was cut short by a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve on November 29. He returned in 2005 to start every game for the Titans, recording a career-high 83 tackles.
as a free agent in March 2006. On August 6, 2006, Williams was placed on the injured reserve
for the 2006 season after shattering his kneecap. The Vikings re-signed Williams to a one-year deal after the season. He started only two games in 2007, recording 18 tackles on the year.
on March 5, 2008. Williams sustained a severe injury to his knee in training camp which caused him to be put on injured reserve, ending his season. Williams was re-signed by the Patriots on March 16, 2009. He was released on August 25 when the team signed third-round pick Tyrone McKenzie
.
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
) is an American football
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...
safety 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 drafted by the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft
2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
. 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 Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
.
Williams has also played for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Early years
Williams attended Bay High SchoolBay St. Louis-Waveland School District
The Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District is a public school district based in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi .In addition to Bay St. Louis, the district serves the city of Waveland and part of Shoreline Park.-Schools:...
in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County...
where he played football
High 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....
as a safety as well as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and ran track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
all four years in high school. During high school he was also employed by the Winn-Dixie grocery store in Bay St. Louis where he worked as a bag boy.
According to Williams, his nickname came from his sister: as an infant, he drank so much milk that his sister suggested to his mother that his mother should give him a tank of milk instead of a bottle.
College career
Williams attended Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where he played in 10 games as a true freshman in 1998. He started six games at free safety in 1999, and earned second-team All-Pacific-10 Conference honors as a junior. In his senior season, Williams was a first-team All-Pac-10 pick, becoming the first defensive back in school history to win national first-team honors.
Tennessee Titans
Drafted by the Titans in the second round (45th overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft2002 NFL Draft
The 2002 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft took place April 20–21, 2002 at the theater at...
, Williams started every game as a rookie for the Titans in 2002. He started every game in 2003 as well, posting 81 tackles, fourth on the Titans' defense that was best in the NFL against the run. His 2004 season was cut short by a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve on November 29. He returned in 2005 to start every game for the Titans, recording a career-high 83 tackles.
Minnesota Vikings
Williams signed with the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
as a free agent in March 2006. On August 6, 2006, Williams was placed on the injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
for the 2006 season after shattering his kneecap. The Vikings re-signed Williams to a one-year deal after the season. He started only two games in 2007, recording 18 tackles on the year.
New England Patriots
Williams signed a one year contract with the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on March 5, 2008. Williams sustained a severe injury to his knee in training camp which caused him to be put on injured reserve, ending his season. Williams was re-signed by the Patriots on March 16, 2009. He was released on August 25 when the team signed third-round pick Tyrone McKenzie
Tyrone McKenzie
-New England Patriots:McKenzie was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. On May 2, 2009, during rookie minicamp, McKenzie tore the ACL in his right knee after getting tangled up with a running back. He was signed to a four-year contract on August 25 and...
.