Isaiah Williams (wide receiver, born 2001)
{{short description|American football player (born 2001)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Isaiah Williams
| image = Isaiah Williams (wide receiver, born 2001) (52514541904) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Williams with Illinois in 2022
| current_team = Cincinnati Bengals
| number =18
| position = Wide receiver
Return specialist
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|1|29}}
| birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 185
| high_school = Trinity Catholic (St. Louis, Missouri)
| college = Illinois (2019–2023)
| undraftedyear = 2024
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|2024}})
- Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
| status = Active
| highlights =
- First-team All-Big Ten (2023)
| pfr = WillIs04
|statlabel1=Receptions|statvalue1=2|statlabel2=Receiving yards|statvalue2=6|statlabel3=Recieving touchdowns|statlabel4=Return yards|statvalue4=284|statlabel5=Return touchdowns|statseason=2024|statweek=}}
Isaiah Williams (born January 29, 2001) is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, where he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Early life
Williams attended Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He played quarterback in high school.{{cite web |last=Ryan |first=Shannon |title=Illinois committed to giving Isaiah Williams a shot at quarterback — a big reason he signed with the Illini: 'He loves that "he's too short" thing' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-illinois-recruiting-isaiah-williams-20190205-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=February 5, 2019}} Williams was the Missouri Gatorade Football Player of the Year both his junior and senior seasons.{{cite web |title=All-purpose: Isaiah Williams, Trinity |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-school/all-metro/football/all-purpose-isaiah-williams-trinity/article_1af69e62-7e8d-11ea-8084-af2c4d7466f7.html |website=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |language=en |date=May 1, 2020}} He played in the 2019 Under Armour All-America Game.{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Cam |title=Isaiah Williams, Marcus Washington, Shammond Cooper honored with Under Armour All-America jerseys |url=https://usatodayhss.com/2018/st-louis-trinity-catholic-stars-isaiah-williams-marcus-washington-shammond-cooper-honored-with-under-armour-all-america-jerseys |website=USA Today High School Sports |date=September 5, 2018}} He committed to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to play college football.{{cite web |title=Lovie lands 5-star QB recruit Isaiah Williams |url=https://herald-review.com/sports/illini/lovie-lands-5-star-qb-recruit-isaiah-williams/article_c073cf0e-e328-539d-8c73-f3f1967ccad0.html |website=Herald & Review |language=en |date=March 23, 2018}}
College career
Williams played quarterback his first two years at Illinois in 2019 and 2020. He played in four games his first season and took a redshirt. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, he started four games and played in one other. In his first career start, he rushed for 192 yards, which was a school record for quarterbacks.{{cite web |last=Wagner |first=Joey |title='He put the team on his back,' Illinois quarterback Isaiah Williams rushes into record book |url=https://herald-review.com/sports/college/football/he-put-the-team-on-his-back-illinois-quarterback-isaiah-williams-rushes-into-record-book/article_9deeca47-19bf-57f2-9333-b4fb68276a2f.html |website=Herald & Review |language=en |date=November 14, 2020}} Overall for the season, he completed 26 of 63 passes for 393 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed for 389 yards with a touchdown.
Prior to the 2021 season, Williams was switched to wide receiver.{{cite web |last=Dare |first=Chad |title=Isaiah Williams switches from quarterback to wide receiver |url=https://www.commercial-news.com/sports/isaiah-williams-switches-from-quarterback-to-wide-receiver/article_ddf5ad78-af0a-11eb-a491-5bfb75d86db5.html |website=Commercial-News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125014456/https://www.commercial-news.com/sports/isaiah-williams-switches-from-quarterback-to-wide-receiver/article_ddf5ad78-af0a-11eb-a491-5bfb75d86db5.html |archive-date=January 25, 2024 |language=en |date=May 8, 2021 |url-status=dead}} In his first year as a receiver, he led the team with 47 receptions for 525 yards and four touchdowns.{{cite web |last=Richey |first=Scott |date=March 23, 2024 |title=Williams embracing challenge of new offense |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/williams-embracing-challenge-of-new-offense/article_f51b1b36-b362-5eee-8dc3-2b11d1951537.html |website=The News-Gazette |language=en}} He started all 13 games in 2022 and again led the team with 82 receptions for 715 yards and five touchdowns.{{cite web |last=Richey |first=Scott |date=March 25, 2024 |title=Notes: Williams focused on growing as receiver, leader this spring |url=https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/notes-williams-focused-on-growing-as-receiver-leader-this-spring/article_861951cb-cd91-5c4f-8e22-4947908f7ae7.html |website=The News-Gazette |language=en}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 9 1/4
| weight = 182
| dash = 4.57
| ten split = 1.56
| twenty split = 2.62
| shuttle = 4.11
| cone drill = 6.75
| vertical = 38.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 8
| bench = 17
| arm span = 30 1/8
| hand span = 9 1/8
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/isaiah-williams/32005749-4c31-9263-c2fd-331ed4ebd1b7 |title=Isaiah Williams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 9, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1030076&DraftYear=2024 |title=2024 NFL Draft Scout Isaiah Williams College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 9, 2024}}{{Cite tweet |user=IlliniFootball|number=1766279090493866355 |title=2024 Isaiah Williams Pro Day |website=Twitter.com |access-date=March 28, 2024}}
}}
=Detroit Lions=
On April 28, 2024, Williams signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent, after not being selected in the 2024 NFL draft.{{cite web|title=TWENTYMAN: A closer look at the Lions' undrafted rookie free agents|url=https://www.detroitlions.com/news/a-closer-look-at-the-lions-undrafted-rookie-free-agents-calhoun-chambers-clemens|author=Twentyman, Tim|website=DetroitLions|date=May 10, 2024}} He was also selected by the Birmingham Stallions in the fourth round of the 2024 UFL draft on July 17.{{cite news |title=2024 UFL College Draft: Showboats select Kansas QB Jason Bean with No. 1 pick |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/ufl/2024-ufl-college-draft-tracking-every-selection |website=FoxSports.com |date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=July 19, 2024}} He was notably among the 53 players to make the Lions initial Week 1 roster. However, he was released by the team on November 7.{{cite news |title=Lions Release Undrafted WR Isaiah Williams for Jameson Williams’ Return |url=https://bvmsports.com/2024/11/07/lions-release-undrafted-wr-isaiah-williams-for-jameson-williams-return/ |website=BVNSports.com |date=November 7, 2024 |access-date=November 7, 2024}}
=Cincinnati Bengals=
On November 8, 2024, Williams was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.{{cite web|title=Bengals Acquire Isaiah Williams on Waivers|url=https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-acquire-isaiah-williams-on-waivers|website=Bengals.com|date=November 8, 2024}} Starting with the Bengals' Week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys, Williams took over punt return duties for the Bengals after an injury to Charlie Jones.{{Cite web |last=Dietz |first=Matthew |date=2024-12-10 |title=Brown Jr., Charlie Jones inactive as Bengals meet Cowboys on MNF |url=https://www.wlwt.com/article/inactives-cincinnati-bengals-dallas-cowboys-charlie-jones/63138888 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=WLWT |language=en}} He remained in the role for the rest of the season.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-15 |title=Bengals' Isaiah Williams: Works mostly as returner in 2024 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/bengals-isaiah-williams-works-mostly-as-returner-in-2024/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.detroitlions.com/team/players-roster/isaiah-williams/ Detroit Lions bio]
- [https://fightingillini.com/sports/football/roster/isaiah-williams/13835 Illinois Fighting Illini bio]
{{Cincinnati Bengals roster navbox}}
{{Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Isaiah}}
Category:Players of American football from St. Louis
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players