Thomas Williams (American football)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Washington Williams (born December 25, 1984 in Vacaville, California
) is an American football
linebacker
for the Carolina Panthers
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Southern California.
Williams has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks
, New England Patriots
, and Buffalo Bills
.
at Vacaville High School. When it came to deciding where to attend college, his final choices were University of Notre Dame
and the University of Southern California
. Finding them equals in many areas; Williams decided on USC due in part to the diversity of the Los Angeles
area as well as the career networking, as he was uncertain he would be able to eventually move on to the NFL.
and LenDale White
. Williams started
14 games at 3 different positions (including fullback
) while playing college football
at USC. He was all-Pac-10 honorable mention in 2007 and was invited to the East West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl
. Williams career stats include, 74 tackles, 1 sack, 3 fumbles forced, 5 passes defensed, 5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 37 interception return yards. In 2007 Williams had 56 tackles. He had 6 tackles in the 2008 Rose Bowl
.
During his time with the Trojans, Williams received guidance and feedback from veteran linebackers such as Lofa Tatupu
, Matt Grootegoed
, Dallas Sartz
, Collin Ashton
and Oscar Lua
. In order to see more playing time against the more experienced linebackers ahead of him, Williams focused and excelled at special teams play, particularly kickoff coverage. During his redshirt
freshman year he was an active member of the 2004 National Championship team
, where he played behind Sartz at the strong-side spot. Early in the 2004 season, Williams was nicknamed "The Hitman" by coach Pete Carroll
for his performance on special teams; the name stuck with him for his career at USC.
During the 2005 season
, Williams again backed up Sartz, but moved into the starting lineup for six games after Sartz suffered a shoulder injury; he also started twice in the middle and learned the weak-side responsibilities as well. During the 2006 season
, when the Trojans fullbacks were decimated by injury, members of the offense such as Ryan Kalil
, Sam Baker and John David Booty
, asked him to switch positions to fullback, a position he had played in high school. Thus Williams started twice at fullback and played several games that season on both offense and defense. Over the years, Williams played all three linebacker positions. Williams teammates voted him the team’s most inspirational player in the 2007 season; he finished the regular season as the third-leading tackler among linebackers with 3½ tackles for losses, an interception and two forced fumbles on a defense that ranked second nationally.
Thomas graduated from USC in May 2008 with a degree in sociology
.
was drafted 97th overall in the 1983
. Williams signed a four-year contract with the Jaguars that included $174,500 signing bonus to go along with the $1.7 million contract. He played in six games for the Jaguars in 2008, recording one tackle. He was waived on September 5, 2009.
practice squad on September 8, 2009. He was released on September 30.
practice squad on November 10, 2009. He was promoted to the Patriots' active roster on January 6, 2010, in advance of their playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens
, for which he was inactive. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
practice squad on October 12, 2010 and later added to the active roster. Williams played in two games for the Bills before being waived on December 11, 2010.
practice squad on December 15, 2010.
Vacaville, California
Vacaville, California is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Solano County. The city is nearly half way between Sacramento and San Francisco on I-80. It sits approximately from Sacramento, and from San Francisco...
) 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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
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 was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. 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 Southern California.
Williams has also been a member of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, 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...
, and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Williams preppedHigh 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....
at Vacaville High School. When it came to deciding where to attend college, his final choices were University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Finding them equals in many areas; Williams decided on USC due in part to the diversity of the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area as well as the career networking, as he was uncertain he would be able to eventually move on to the NFL.
College career
Williams entered USC in the 2003 recruiting class that included Reggie BushReggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
and LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
. Williams started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
14 games at 3 different positions (including fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
) while playing 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 USC. He was all-Pac-10 honorable mention in 2007 and was invited to the East West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
. Williams career stats include, 74 tackles, 1 sack, 3 fumbles forced, 5 passes defensed, 5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 37 interception return yards. In 2007 Williams had 56 tackles. He had 6 tackles in the 2008 Rose Bowl
2008 Rose Bowl
The 2008 Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the 94th Rose Bowl Game, played on January 1, 2008 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, was a college football bowl game. The contest was televised on ABC, the 20th straight year the network aired the Rose Bowl, starting at 4:30pm EST...
.
During his time with the Trojans, Williams received guidance and feedback from veteran linebackers such as Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
, Matt Grootegoed
Matt Grootegoed
Matt Grootegoed is a professional gridiron football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
, Dallas Sartz
Dallas Sartz
Dallas Sartz is a former American football linebacker who is currently an assistant coach for the UC Davis football team. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, Collin Ashton
Collin Ashton
Collin Ashton is an American football linebacker.-College Football:Ashton played college football at the University of Southern California where he graduated in 2006. He was a walk-on player who earned a scholarship...
and Oscar Lua
Oscar Lua
Oscar Lua is former American football linebacker. He was originally drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:...
. In order to see more playing time against the more experienced linebackers ahead of him, Williams focused and excelled at special teams play, particularly kickoff coverage. During his redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman year he was an active member of the 2004 National Championship team
2004 USC Trojans football team
The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004-2005 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Although now vacated for breaking NCAA rules, the team won the 2004 BCS National Championship by winning the 2005 Orange Bowl, that year's BCS National...
, where he played behind Sartz at the strong-side spot. Early in the 2004 season, Williams was nicknamed "The Hitman" by coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
for his performance on special teams; the name stuck with him for his career at USC.
During the 2005 season
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
, Williams again backed up Sartz, but moved into the starting lineup for six games after Sartz suffered a shoulder injury; he also started twice in the middle and learned the weak-side responsibilities as well. During the 2006 season
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
, when the Trojans fullbacks were decimated by injury, members of the offense such as Ryan Kalil
Ryan Kalil
Ryan Kalil is an American football offensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Drafted by Carolina in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Kalil played college football at the University of Southern California...
, Sam Baker and John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
, asked him to switch positions to fullback, a position he had played in high school. Thus Williams started twice at fullback and played several games that season on both offense and defense. Over the years, Williams played all three linebacker positions. Williams teammates voted him the team’s most inspirational player in the 2007 season; he finished the regular season as the third-leading tackler among linebackers with 3½ tackles for losses, an interception and two forced fumbles on a defense that ranked second nationally.
Thomas graduated from USC in May 2008 with a degree in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Williams was selected 155th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2008 NFL draft; he was the first person from his high school to be drafted in the NFL since Vince NewsomeVince Newsome
Vince Newsome was an American football safety who played ten seasons in the National Football League. He currently works in the front office for the Baltimore Ravens....
was drafted 97th overall in the 1983
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
. Williams signed a four-year contract with the Jaguars that included $174,500 signing bonus to go along with the $1.7 million contract. He played in six games for the Jaguars in 2008, recording one tackle. He was waived on September 5, 2009.
Seattle Seahawks
Williams was signed to the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
practice squad on September 8, 2009. He was released on September 30.
New England Patriots
Williams was signed to 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...
practice squad on November 10, 2009. He was promoted to the Patriots' active roster on January 6, 2010, in advance of their playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, for which he was inactive. He was waived during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
Buffalo Bills
Williams was signed to the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad on October 12, 2010 and later added to the active roster. Williams played in two games for the Bills before being waived on December 11, 2010.
Carolina Panthers
Williams was signed to the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
practice squad on December 15, 2010.