K'Waun Williams
refer to caption
Williams with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017
No. 8 – Denver Broncos
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1991-07-12) July 12, 1991
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school:Saint Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey)
College:Pittsburgh
Undrafted:2014
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of 2022
Total tackles:345
Sacks:8.0
Forced fumbles:11
Fumble recoveries:3
Pass deflections:34
Interceptions:5
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

K'Waun Lamar Williams (/ˈkeɪwɔːn/ KAY-wawn; born July 12, 1991) is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and attended Saint Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey.

Early years

Williams played high school football for the Saint Joseph Regional High School Green Knights. He played running back, wide receiver and cornerback. He was an All-New Jersey selection. Williams recorded 32 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, four rushing touchdowns, and four receiving touchdowns his senior year.[1] He is of Jamaican descent.[2]

College career

Williams played from 2010 to 2013 with the Pittsburgh Panthers.[1]

Professional career

Pre-draft

Williams was ranked as the 92nd best cornerback prospect in the 2014 NFL Draft by DraftScout.com.[3] Williams went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, but received offers for a tryout from the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. Williams declined the offer to attend the Steelers' rookie camp in order to reunite with Browns' defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, who was also his position coach at Pitt and recruited him out of high school.[4]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
5 ft 9+3⁄8 in
(1.76 m)		 183 lb
(83 kg)		 31+5⁄8 in
(0.80 m)		 9+3⁄4 in
(0.25 m)		4.53 s1.53 s2.55 s4.23 s6.85 s36 in
(0.91 m)		10 ft 6 in
(3.20 m)		8 reps
All values from Pittsburgh's Pro Day[3]

Cleveland Browns

Williams with the Browns in 2014

2014

On May 20, 2014, the Browns signed Williams to a two-year, $930,000 contract.[5][6]

Throughout training camp, Williams competed for a roster spot as a backup cornerback and special teams contributor against Isaiah Trufant, Aaron Berry, Pierre Desir, Leon McFadden, T. J. Heath, Robert Nelson, and Royce Adams.[7] He also competed to be the backup nickelback against Isaiah Trufant.[4] Head coach Mike Pettine named Williams the seventh cornerback on the Browns' depth chart to start the regular season, behind Joe Haden, Buster Skrine, Justin Gilbert, Pierre Desir, Robert Nelson, and Aaron Berry. Williams was also named the backup nickelback being Buster Skrine.[8]

He made his professional regular season debut in the Browns' season-opener at the Steelers and made three combined tackles in their 30–27 loss.[9] Williams was inserted at nickelback after rookie Justin Gilbert had issues in pass coverage and was replaced on the outside by nickelback Buster Skrine.[10] He made his first career tackle on running back Le'Veon Bell after a nine-yard reception in the third quarter.[11] On October 5, 2014, Williams collected a season-high six solo tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first career sack during a 29–28 victory at the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. Williams sacked backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst for a six-yard loss in the third quarter.[12] The following week, Williams earned his first career start, as a nickelback, and made a solo tackle and two pass deflections before exiting in the second quarter of the Browns' 31–10 win against the Steelers in Week 6 due to a concussion. He was inactive for the Browns' Week 7 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars due to concussion symptoms.[4] In Week 11, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles and a pass deflection during a 23–7 loss to the Houston Texans. Williams was inactive for two games (Weeks 15–16) due to a hamstring injury.[13] He completed his rookie season in 2014 with 38 combined tackles (29 solo), eight pass deflections, and a sack in 13 games and four starts.[14][15]

2015

Williams entered training camp slated as the first-team nickelback after Buster Skrine departed for the New York Jets in free agency. Head coach Mike Pettine named Williams the third cornerback on the depth chart to start the season, behind Joe Haden and Tramon Williams. He was also officially named the first-team nickelback.[16]

In Week 2, he made three solo tackles and sacked quarterback Marcus Mariota during a 28–14 victory against the Titans. He was sidelined for two games (Weeks 4–5) after sustaining a concussion.[13] In Week 10, he collected a season-high five solo tackles in the Browns' 30–9 loss at the Steelers. Williams was inactive for the Browns' Week 15 loss at the Seattle Seahawks due to a shoulder injury.[13] Williams finished the 2015 season with 39 combined tackles (31 solo), two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a sack in 13 games and six starts.[14]

2016

On August 12, 2016, Williams opted to not participate in the Cleveland Browns' pre-season opener due to an ankle injury.[17] On August 18, 2016, the Cleveland Browns suspended Williams for two weeks and fined him for conduct detrimental to the team. The Browns argued the severity of Williams injury as he continued to sit out practice and received a second opinion.[18] Williams received a second opinion from an independent specialist at the Cleveland Clinic and was told he would have to undergo surgery to remove bone spurs. Williams stated he planned to appeal the suspension and was also reportedly contemplating retirement.[19] On August 29, 2016, the Cleveland Browns waived Williams.[20]

Chicago Bears

On August 30, 2016, the Chicago Bears claimed Williams off of waivers.[21] However, the contract was voided after Williams failed a physical due to his ankle injury.[22] On November 3, 2016, Williams underwent surgery to remove the bone spurs and was expected to recover within 12 weeks.[23]

After being medically cleared following surgery, Williams received contract offers from multiple teams, including the Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and 49ers.[24]

San Francisco 49ers

On February 21, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers signed Williams to a one-year, $615,000 contract with a signing bonus of $75,000.[25] He reunited with 49ers' defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, who was his position coach with the Cleveland Browns and at Pitt.

Throughout training camp, Williams competed against Will Redmond and Keith Reaser for the role as the first-team nickelback.[26] Head coach Kyle Shanahan named Williams the first-team nickelback to start the regular season.

On September 29, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers signed Williams to a three-year, $8.85 million contract extension with $4.25 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $3 million.[27] On October 1, 2017, Williams collected a season-high eight combined tackles during an 18–15 loss at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4. Williams was inactive for two games (Weeks 8–9) after injuring his quadriceps.[28] On December 24, 2017, Williams recorded five combined tackles, deflected two passes, and made his first career interception during a 44–33 victory against the Jaguars in Week 16. He intercepted a pass by quarterback Blake Bortles and returned it for a 27-yard gain.[29] He finished the 2017 season with a career-high 54 combined tackles (42 solo), five pass deflections, two forced fumbles, an interception, and a sack in 14 games and five starts.[14] Pro Football Focus gave Williams an overall grade of 80.2, which ranked 44th among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2017.[30]

On October 10, 2020, Williams was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.[31] He was activated on October 31.[32] He was suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy on November 24, 2020,[33] but the suspension was rescinded the next day after testing issues were discovered.[34]

On March 26, 2021, Williams re-signed with 49ers.[35]

Denver Broncos

On March 23, 2022, Williams signed a two-year contract with the Denver Broncos.[36] On November 14, it was announced that Williams would undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean out "loose bodies" scar tissue that had developed from a previous surgery; the fragments had been causing his knee to lock up, and the recovery timetable was set at four weeks.[37]

On August 31, 2023, Williams was placed on injured reserve.[38]

Statistics

YearTeamGPCOMBTOTALASTSACKFFFRFR YDSINTIR YDSAVG IRLNGTDPD
2014CLE 13382991.0000000008
2015CLE 13393181.0320000002
2017SF 145442121.0210127272705
2018SF 14454050.0000000002
2019SF 155135161.040025326.54902
2020SF 8221752.0100000004
2021SF 145240121.0100144.0404
2022DEN 144430141.0000100.0007
Career105345264818.0113058416.849034

Source:[39]

References

  1. 1 2 "K'Waun Williams". pittsburghpanthers.com. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Mile High Morning: 10 Broncos to wear helmet flag decals through NFL Heritage Program". www.denverbroncos.com.
  3. 1 2 "KWaun Williams, Pittsburgh, CB, 2014 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Reed, Tom (November 1, 2014). "Insider trading: The story of how the Cleveland Browns found defensive back K'Waun Williams". Cleveland.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  5. ↑ Cabot, Mary Kay (May 20, 2014). "Cleveland Browns sign rookie DB K'Waun Williams out of Pittsburgh". cleveland.com. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Spotrac.com: K'Waun Williams contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  7. ↑ Pokorny, Chris (August 5, 2014). "Cleveland Browns Provide First Depth Chart of Training Camp". dawgsbynature.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  8. ↑ Pokorny, Chris (September 2, 2014). "Browns' Depth Chart vs. Steelers: Hawkins, Robertson, and Skrine Listed as Starters". dawgsbynature.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  9. ↑ "K'Waun Williams". nfl.com. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ Petrak, Scott (November 21, 2014). "Browns top pick Justin Gilbert sits as undrafted rookie K'Waun Williams excels at nickelback". medina-gazette.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  11. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 1-2014: Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers". NFL.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  12. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 5-2014: Cleveland Browns @ Tennessee Titans". NFL.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 "FoxSports.com: K'Waun Williams". foxsports.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 "NFL Player stats: K'Waun Williams (career)". NFL.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  15. ↑ "K'Waun Williams". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Ourlads.com: Cleveland Browns Depth Chart: 10/01/2015". Ourlads.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Cleveland Browns suspend DB K'Waun Williams for two weeks". profootballweekly.com. August 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ↑ "Browns CB K'Waun Williams suspended, fined for rules violation". espn.com. August 18, 2016. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ↑ "Browns CB K'Waun Williams told he needs surgery, will appeal suspension". si.com. August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  20. ↑ Shook, Nick (August 29, 2016). "Browns release cornerback K'Waun Williams". nfl.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ↑ Biggs, Brad (August 30, 2016). "In perfect storm, Bears land quality young cornerback K'Waun Williams". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ↑ Biggs, Brad (August 31, 2016). "Bears remain in search of CB help after K'Waun Williams fails physical". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ↑ "K'Waun Williams: Undergoes ankle surgery". cbssports.com. November 3, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  24. ↑ Wyatt, David (February 21, 2017). "Report: Jets & 3 Other Teams Offer K'Waun Williams a Contract". ganggreennation.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  25. ↑ Shook, Nick (February 21, 2017). "K'Waun Williams signs one-year deal with 49ers". NFL.com.
  26. ↑ Biderman, Chris (September 5, 2017). "Report: 49ers give veteran defensive back second workout". ninerswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  27. ↑ Wagoner, Nick (October 6, 2017). "Breaking down K'Waun Williams' contract extension with the 49ers". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  28. ↑ Brady, James (October 27, 2017). "49ers-Eagles injury report: Aaron Lynch, K'Waun Williams out, Kyle Juszczyk expected back". ninersnation.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  29. ↑ "NFL Game Center: Week 16-2017: Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Francisco 49ers". NFL.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Pro Football Focus: K'Waun Williams". profootballfocus.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  31. ↑ "49ers Announce Roster Moves". 49ers.com. October 10, 2020. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  32. ↑ "49ers Announce Roster Moves". 49ers.com. October 31, 2020.
  33. ↑ Madson, Kyle (November 24, 2020). "49ers CB K'Waun Williams suspended 2 games". USAToday.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  34. ↑ Wagoner, Nick (November 25, 2020). "San Francisco 49ers cornerback K'Waun Williams has 2-game suspension rescinded". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  35. ↑ "49ers Re-sign CB K'Waun Williams". 49ers.com. March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  36. ↑ DiLalla, Aric (March 23, 2022). "Broncos sign CB K'Waun Williams to two-year deal". DenverBroncos.com.
  37. ↑ "Report: Broncos Get Brutal News on CB K'Waun Williams". si.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  38. ↑ DiLalla, Aric (August 31, 2023). "Broncos sign NT Mike Purcell, CB Fabian Moreau and T Quinn Bailey, place three players on injured reserve". DenverBroncos.com.
  39. ↑ "K'Waun Williams Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
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