Boo Williams
{{Short description|American football player (born 1979)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| image = Boo Williams.jpg
| caption = Williams signs an autograph in 2006
| number = 82
| position = Tight end, Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|6|22}}
| birth_place = Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 265
| high_school = Lincoln (Tallahassee, Florida)
| college = Arkansas (1999-2000)
| undraftedyear = 2001
| pastteams =
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|2001}}–{{NFL Year|2005}})
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2006}})*
- Kansas City Brigade ({{AFL Year|2007}}–{{AFL Year|2008}})
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 107
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 1,143
| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 12
| pfr = WillBo00
| aflstatlabel1 = Receptions
| aflstatvalue1 = 45
| aflstatlabel2 = Receiving yards
| aflstatvalue2 = 473
| aflstatlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns
| aflstatvalue3 = 17
| afl = Boo_Williams-10399
}}
Eddie Lee "Boo" Williams (born June 22, 1979) is an American former professional football tight end who played for the New Orleans Saints from 2001 to 2004. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks as a wide receiver.
College career
Williams played two seasons at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, where he was a two-time All-American catching 83 passes for 1,687 yards and 21 touchdowns as a split end wide receiver. He then transferred to the University of Arkansas for the 1999 and 2000 seasons where he caught 80 receptions for 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns.{{cite web|title=PLAYER BIO - BOO WILLIAMS|url=http://www.neworleanssaints.com/playerbio.cfm?playerid=113|website=neworleanssaints.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324020450/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/playerbio.cfm?playerid=113|archive-date=March 24, 2006}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 4
| weight = 237
| dash = 4.72
| ten split = 1.63
| twenty split = 2.73
| shuttle = 4.33
| cone drill = 7.10
| vertical = 35+1/2
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 11
| bench =
| wonderlic =
| arm span =
| hand span =
| note = Measurables are from the 2001 NFL Scouting Combine.{{cite web|title=Boo Williams, DS #18 TE, Arkansas|url=http://draftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=61237&draftyear=2001&genpos=TE|website=NFL Draft Scout|accessdate=June 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501094208/http://draftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=61237&draftyear=2001&genpos=TE|archive-date=May 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}}}
=New Orleans Saints=
Williams was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints on April 26, 2001 and soon began a conversion to the tight end position. Waived in September, then signed off the practice squad on October 27, he played in his first NFL game October 28 and made his first start the following week. He finished his first NFL season with 20 receptions for 202 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Williams was the top pass-catching tight end for the Saints in 2002 with 13 receptions for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. The following year he set career highs with 41 catches for 436 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading the NFC in touchdowns among tight ends. In 2004 Williams started a career-high 8 games.
Williams tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee during a 2005 preseason game and did not play the entire year. He was released by the Saints in February 2006.{{cite news|last1=Pasquarelli|first1=Len|title=Giants sign former Saints TE Boo Williams|url=http://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2475912|accessdate=June 14, 2016|work=ESPN|date=June 8, 2006}}
=New York Giants=
Williams was signed by the New York Giants in June 2006 but waived before the regular season began.{{cite web|title=Boo Williams - Tight End|url=http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/1044/boo-williams|website=Rotoworld|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}
=Kansas City Brigade=
On January 19, 2007, Williams signed with the Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League. On March 3, 2008, he was placed on recallable waivers by the Brigade.{{cite web|title=Kansas City Brigade|url=http://www.arenafan.com/teams/?page=transactions&type=old&team=115|website=ArenaFan.com|accessdate=April 30, 2018}}
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| Bold
| Career high |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="6"| Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 2001 | NOR
| 11 || 4 || 42 || 20 || 202 || 10.1 || 26 || 3 | |||||||
| 2002 | NOR
| 16 || 3 || 31 || 13 || 143 || 11.0 || 32 || 2 | |||||||
| 2003 | NOR
| 16 || 6 || 62 || 41 || 436 || 10.6 || 31 || 5 | |||||||
| 2004 | NOR
| 16 || 7 || 75 || 33 || 362 || 11.0 || 22 || 2 | |||||||
| colspan="2"| | 59 | 20 | 210 | 107 | 1,143 | 10.7 | 32 | 12 |
Life after football
Williams struggled with a multitude of depression, anger, and anxiety issues after retiring from football, the cause of which he attributes to head trauma sustained during his NFL career. After nearly taking his own life in 2011, Williams spent four months at the Crosby Center in San Diego for diagnosis and treatment of the problems he was suffering from. Williams later worked with the Crosby Center to help other NFL players dealing with similar issues post-retirement.{{cite news|last1=Rousseau|first1=Randi|title=Former Saints player becomes advocate for mental health after NFL run|url=http://www.wdsu.com/article/former-saints-player-becomes-advocate-for-mental-health-after-nfl-run-1/3374030|accessdate=June 15, 2016|work=WDSU 6 News|date=November 24, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Patch|first1=Lianna|title=After the Game Ends|url=http://www.livingneworleans.com/?p=10972|accessdate=June 15, 2016|work=New Orleans Living Magazine|date=January 2, 2015}}
Williams uses cannabis to treat the chronic pain and neurological problems that have resulted from his football career.{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=David|title=After The NFL, Pot Saved Boo Williams' Life. He's Trying To Return The Favor.|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/after-the-nfl-pot-saved-boo-williams-life-hes-trying-to-return-the-favor/|access-date=April 29, 2018|work=Vice Sports|date=November 3, 2016}} As a member of the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition he has been active in speaking about his experience using cannabis as medicine and advocating for the NFL to change its policy.{{cite news|last1=Downs|first1=David|title=Former NFL players end-run federal marijuana research blockade|url=https://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/04/08/former-nfl-players-try-to-sack-federal-marijuana-research-blockade/|accessdate=April 29, 2018|work=Smell the Truth|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=April 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819080226/https://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/04/08/former-nfl-players-try-to-sack-federal-marijuana-research-blockade/|archive-date=August 19, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last1=Black|first1=Bobby|title=Changing the game -- A high-profile San Diege resident, Boo williams is a former NFL star turned cannabis advocate and entrepreneur on a mission.|url=https://issuu.com/sensimediagroup/docs/feb_2018_san_diego_sensi/30|accessdate=April 29, 2018|work=Sensi Magazine|issue=February 2018}}
Williams founded the Boo Williams Athletic Academy, an after-school program providing academic and athletic activities for children to engage in. He has also worked as a bounty hunter and appeared in two episodes of the reality TV show Dog and Beth: On the Hunt.{{cite web|title=Boo Williams|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2473263/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t25|website=IMDb|accessdate=June 15, 2016}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060324020450/http://www.neworleanssaints.com/playerbio.cfm?playerid=113 New Orleans Saints bio]
- Boo Williams on [https://www.facebook.com/boo.williams.564 Facebook] | [https://twitter.com/boowilliams82 Twitter]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Boo}}
Category:American football tight ends
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football players
Category:University of Arkansas alumni
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:New York Giants players
Category:Kansas City Brigade players
Category:Players of American football from Tallahassee, Florida