Jimmy Williams (cornerback, born 1984)
{{Short description|American football player (born 1984)}}
{{distinguish|Jimmy Williams (cornerback, born 1979)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Jimmy Williams
| image = Jimmy Williams Virginia Tech.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Williams while playing for Virginia Tech in 2004
| current_team =
| number = 24
| position = Cornerback
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|3|8|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lbs = 216
| high_school = Bethel (Hampton)
| college = Virginia Tech
| draftyear = 2006
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 37
| pastteams = * Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|2006}}–{{NFL Year|2007}})
- San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|2009}})*
- Spokane Shock ({{AFL Year|2014}})
- New Orleans VooDoo ({{AFL Year|2015}})
| status =
| highlights = * Jack Tatum Trophy (2005)
- Unanimous All-American (2005)
- 2× First-team All-ACC (2004, 2005)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 48
| statlabel2 = Pass deflections
| statvalue2 = 3
| statlabel3 = Interceptions
| statvalue3 = 1
| pfr = WillJi23
| afl = 13090
}}
James Franklin Williams Jr. (born March 8, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, aearning unanimous All-American honors. Williams was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft, but was later suspended for violating the NFL's banned substances policy.
Early life
Williams was born in Hampton, Virginia. As a child, he played for the Hampton Tornados in a youth football league. He attended Bethel High School as a senior, playing for the Bethel Bruins high school football team. He played the previous three seasons playing for Hampton High School, winning a state championship in 1998. Williams was known for his versatility during his prep career, competing at quarterback, safety, wide receiver and outside linebacker. He earned All-Peninsula District honors as a junior and senior, adding first-team honors in 2001, and was elected to the Newport News Daily Press All-Star team as a senior. In his final season, he collected over 100 tackles with two sacks and intercepted seven passes, returning two for touchdowns as a safety and outside linebacker. On offense, he compiled over 1,000 yards of total offense as a quarterback, passing for five touchdowns and rushing for six. He also returned punts and kicks.
College career
Williams enrolled at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he played for coach Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech Hokies football team as a free safety from 2002 to 2005. He played sparingly his first year, backing up All-American Willie Pile.
In 2003 season, Williams moved into the starting job, and scored his first career touchdown, taking a 55-yard interception to the endzone against Rutgers.
In the Hokies' 2004 ACC championship season, Williams moved from safety to cornerback and played a critical role in two close games. In a 17–10 win against Wake Forest, Williams intercepted a Matt Mauk pass in Hokie territory and returned it to midfield to set up a Tech scoring drive. On Wake's final drive of the game, Williams broke up a pass in the endzone on third down that would have tied the game and potentially sent it into overtime.{{cite web|url=http://www.techsideline.com/football/2004/games/wakerecap.htm|title=Virginia Tech 17, Wake Forest 10|date=October 9, 2004|last=Stewart|first=Will|publisher=techsideline.com}} Against North Carolina, Williams intercepted a pass from Darian Durant just before halftime that set up a Hokies field goal.{{cite web|url=http://www.techsideline.com/football/2004/games/uncrecap.htm|title=Virginia Tech 27, North Carolina 24|date=November 6, 2004|last=Stewart|first=Will|publisher=techsideline.com}}
During his senior year at Tech, Williams was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award{{cite web|url=http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/20051122aaa.html|title=Williams Named Thorpe Finalist|publisher=hokiesports.com|date=November 22, 2005|access-date=July 23, 2007|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184238/http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/20051122aaa.html|url-status=dead}} and a unanimous first-team All-American.{{cite web|url=http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/20051220aaa.html|title=Williams Earns Unanimous All-America Honors|date=December 20, 2005|access-date=July 23, 2007|archive-date=August 7, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807174943/http://www.hokiesports.com/football/recaps/20051220aaa.html|url-status=dead}} Williams nickname during his senior year at Tech was called "the trash talker supreme".
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 2 3/8
| weight = 213
| dash = 4.44
| shuttle = 4.15
| cone drill = 6.69
| vertical = 33.0
| broad ft = 9
| broad in = 6
| bench = 12
| arm span = 33
| hand span = 8 3/4
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jimmy-williams/32005749-4c36-3648-40c5-cebc64987519 |title=Jimmy Williams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=December 17, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=11802&DraftYear=2006 |title=2006 NFL Draft Scout Jimmy Williams College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=May 14, 2024}}
}}
=Atlanta Falcons=
Williams was selected in the second round (37th overall) of the 2006 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons.{{Cite web |title=2006 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2006/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} In his rookie season with the Falcons, Williams started five games and made 24 tackles.
On June 2, 2007, Williams was cited in Richmond, Virginia for possession of marijuana during the 2007 offseason.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbs46.com/sports/13739803/detail.html |title=Falcons' DB Williams Cited For Marijuana Possession |date=July 23, 2007 |access-date=July 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070805100912/http://www.cbs46.com/sports/13739803/detail.html |archive-date=August 5, 2007 }} Due to the NFL's personal conduct policy, he was suspended by Roger Goodell for the first five games of the 2008 season.http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Features/NFL+Features/2008/parr080408.htm {{Dead link|date=February 2022}} Williams was released by the Falcons on June 17, 2008.[http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/06/17/atlanta-falcons-cut-jimmy-williams/ Atlanta Falcons Cut Jimmy Williams - FanHous - AOL Sports Blog] He served the five-game suspension as a free agent and was not signed the rest of the year.
=San Francisco 49ers=
After spending the 2008 season out of football, Williams was signed to a future contract by the San Francisco 49ers on January 22, 2009.
Williams has been suspended for at least one year for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy,
=Spokane Shock=
On January 6, 2014, Williams was assigned to the Spokane Shock of the Arena Football League. He was placed on Injured Reserve on March 14, 2014. Williams was released from injured reserve on June 5, 2014.
=New Orleans VooDoo=
On March 6, 2015, Williams was traded to the New Orleans VooDoo for future considerations.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.49ers.com/team/roster_detail.php?PRKey=218 San Francisco 49ers bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220002036/http://49ers.com/team/roster_detail.php?PRKey=218 |date=February 20, 2009 }}
- [http://www.hokiesports.com/football/players/2005/williams.html Virginia Tech Hokies bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419010231/http://www.hokiesports.com/football/players/2005/williams.html |date=April 19, 2007 }}
{{2005 NCAA Division I-A College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Falcons2006DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Jimmy}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football cornerbacks
Category:American football safeties
Category:Atlanta Falcons players
Category:Hampton High School (Virginia) alumni
Category:San Francisco 49ers players
Category:Virginia Tech Hokies football players
Category:Players of American football from Hampton, Virginia