| No. 99 Saskatchewan Roughriders | |
| Date of birth: | March 8, 1985 |
| Place of birth: | Toronto, Ontario |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Status: | Active |
| CFL status: | Non-import |
| Position(s): | DE |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 232 lb (105 kg) |
| University: | Queen's |
| CFL Draft: | 2010 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 |
| Drafted by: | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 2010-present | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
2009 Vanier Cup Champion |
|
| Honours: |
|
| Playing stats at CFL.ca | |
Shomari Gyasi Williams (born March 8, 1985 in Toronto, Ontario) is a professional Canadian football defensive end for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted first overall by the Roughriders in the 2010 CFL Draft after Saskatchewan traded up to be in a position to draft him. He played college football for the Queen's Golden Gaels and the Houston Cougars.
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Williams first attended North Park Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario where he played football for the North Park Vikings. He then attended Champlain Regional Prep in Lennoxville, Quebec for two years.[1] He was named the team's MVP and also secured a spot on the All-Canadian squad while in high school.[1] During one of his best games in high school, Williams recorded 11 tackles and a forced fumble.[1] While in high school, he was recruited by the University of Houston, University of South Florida, Rutgers, and Connecticut.[1]
At the University of Houston, Williams played mostly on special teams.[1] During his freshman season, he also spent time as a fullback. In his sophomore season, Williams played in all 13 of the club's games, the most action he saw during his time at Houston.[1] During his junior year, he competed in two games.[1] After his junior season, Williams transferred to Queen's University.[2] He had finished his degree in entrepreneurship at the University of Houston, and wanted to further his education in Canada and obtain an education degree.[3]
Williams played defensive end for the Queen's Golden Gaels. During the regular season he played in six games, recording 32 tackles and four sacks.[2] He was named Queen's University Athlete of the Week twice during the season.[4] In the playoffs, Williams contributed even more, recording 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks in four playoff games.[2][4] He was named Most Valuable Player at the 2009 Mitchell Bowl, where Queen's defeated the Laval Rouge et Or.[4] Queen's won the 2009 Vanier Cup as Canada's national champions.[2]
After impressing at the CFL Evaluation Camp, Williams was named the top prospect in the Canadian Football League’s Amateur Scouting Bureau rankings for players eligible in the 2010 CFL Draft.[5] On the day prior to the draft, the Toronto Argonauts traded the number one overall draft pick to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, along with the eighth overall pick, for punter Jamie Boreham and the second and fourth overall picks in the 2010 draft.[6] Williams was flown into Regina to be introduced on May 2, 2010 as the number one overall selection in the 2010 CFL Draft.[7] He agreed to a contract with the Roughriders on May 12, 2010.[8]