William Green (football)
Encyclopedia
William Green is a former American football
running back
. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns
16th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Boston College
.
when William was 12. His mother died of the disease a year later.
Green played high school football
at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey
, where he received multiple All-American honors.
with over 2,700 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns.
Cleveland selected him 16th in the first round of the NFL Draft.According to NFL.com Green started ten games but made attempts in all 16 games of his rookie
season, gaining 887 yards and scoring six touchdowns. His 2003 season, however, was fraught with turmoil. After a good start with 559 yards, Green was arrested for drunk driving and marijuana possession. Green was also notoriously seen wearing one shoe and one sock during the arrest The arrest led to a four-game suspension under the league's substance abuse policy. While under suspension, Green's fiancee, Asia Gray, stabbed him in the back during a domestic dispute. The league extended his suspension through the end of the 2003 season "for treatment purposes."
Green tried to get back on track in 2004, but gained only 585 yards. That year he was also ejected prior to a game with the Pittsburgh Steelers
for fighting with linebacker
Joey Porter
. Around this time, he had disclosed that he is having a child with a woman other than his wife.
His final season in Cleveland was an injury-plagued 2005 campaign where he appeared in eight games and gained only 78 yards. The Browns placed him on injured reserve
at the end of training camp in 2006 and reached an injury settlement with Green allowing them to release him.
's Pro Day on March 19, showing up in "great shape," bench-pressing 225 pounds 25 times and posting a 42-inch vertical leap, but also ran a disappointing 4.85 forty yard dash. As of 2011, he has not returned to the league.
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...
. He was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
16th overall in 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 Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
.
Early years
Green's early life was fraught with problems. His father was a heroin addict who died of AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
when William was 12. His mother died of the disease a year later.
Green played high school 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....
at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey
Absecon, New Jersey
Absecon is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 8,411.What is now the City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor...
, where he received multiple All-American honors.
College career
He put up strong numbers in two years at Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
with over 2,700 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns.
Cleveland Browns
In the 2002 NFL Draft, Green was a top-rated player. However, two suspensions for marijuana use hurt his stock on draft day.Cleveland selected him 16th in the first round of the NFL Draft.According to NFL.com Green started ten games but made attempts in all 16 games of his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season, gaining 887 yards and scoring six touchdowns. His 2003 season, however, was fraught with turmoil. After a good start with 559 yards, Green was arrested for drunk driving and marijuana possession. Green was also notoriously seen wearing one shoe and one sock during the arrest The arrest led to a four-game suspension under the league's substance abuse policy. While under suspension, Green's fiancee, Asia Gray, stabbed him in the back during a domestic dispute. The league extended his suspension through the end of the 2003 season "for treatment purposes."
Green tried to get back on track in 2004, but gained only 585 yards. That year he was also ejected prior to a game with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
for fighting with 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...
Joey Porter
Joey Porter
Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a...
. Around this time, he had disclosed that he is having a child with a woman other than his wife.
His final season in Cleveland was an injury-plagued 2005 campaign where he appeared in eight games and gained only 78 yards. The Browns placed him on 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...
at the end of training camp in 2006 and reached an injury settlement with Green allowing them to release him.
Comeback attempt
In March 2008, it was reported that Green would attempt to play in the NFL again after two seasons out of the league. He worked out at his alma mater Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
's Pro Day on March 19, showing up in "great shape," bench-pressing 225 pounds 25 times and posting a 42-inch vertical leap, but also ran a disappointing 4.85 forty yard dash. As of 2011, he has not returned to the league.