Walt Williams (cornerback)

{{Short description|American football player (born 1954)}}

{{Distinguish|Walter Williams (running back)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{BLP sources|date=August 2022}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Walt Williams

| number = 21, 44, 43

| position = Cornerback

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|7|10}}

| birth_place = Bedford Hills, New York, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| weight_lb = 185

| height_in = 1

| college = New Mexico State

| draftyear = 1977

| draftround = 2

| draftpick = 42

| pastteams =

• Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1977|1980}})
• Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1981|1982}})
• Chicago Bears (1982-{{NFL Year|1983}})

| statlabel1 = Interceptions

| statvalue1 = 4

| statlabel2 = Fumble recoveries

| statvalue2 = 1

| statlabel3 = Defensive TDs

| statvalue3 = 1

| pfr = WillWa22

}}

Walter Williams (born July 10, 1954) is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) and restaurateur.

Born in the South Bronx, N.Y., Williams and his five siblings became wards of the state at age 7. He lived in two children's shelters, spending most of his time at one in Westchester County, learning culinary arts and playing football.{{cite news |last1=Gutierrez |first1=Kris |title=Texas Connect Us: The Story Behind Dallas' Sweet Georgia Brown |url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-connect-us-the-story-behind-dallas-sweet-georgia-brown/2014998/ |access-date=29 August 2022 |work=NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth |date=9 May 2016}}

After high school, he started hitchhiking to California but ended up in New Mexico. He attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where he played football. He was a second round draft pick for the Detroit Lions in the 1970s. He moved on to the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, playing a total of eight years.

He played seven seasons for the Detroit Lions,{{cite news |last1=Prewitt |first1=Eric |title=49ers, Plunkett, Pluck The Lions Apart, 28-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_r00AAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Walt+Williams%22+cornerback&pg=PA7&article_id=3785,5491227 |access-date=29 August 2022 |work=The Argus-Press |date=24 October 1977 |language=en}} the Minnesota Vikings, and the Chicago Bears.

After retiring from football in the early 1980s, Williams started a real estate development company in New Mexico. When the market crashed{{which|date=August 2022}}, he lost about $480 million. He moved to Dallas and started a restaurant called Sweet Georgia Brown.