Sylvester Williams (American football)

Sylvester Williams Jr. (born November 21, 1988) is an American football nose tackle for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina, where he earned All-American honors.

Early years

Williams was born in St Louis, Missouri, into a family with three older sisters and one younger brother.^[1] He attended Jefferson City High School, and played football for only one season in high school, and started only one game. Not being recruited by college programs, he assembled radiator parts for large combines before deciding to walk-on at Coffeyville Community College.^[2] He had 52 tackles and two sacks in 2010.

College career

Williams enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011, and played for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team in 2011 and 2012. As a junior in 2011, he had 43 tackles and 2.5 sacks.^[1] The following season, Williams was named to the All-ACC first team.^[3] He was also named an All-American by Pro Football Weekly.^[4]

Professional career

Denver Broncos

2013 season

Williams was selected in the first round, with the 28th overall pick, of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.^[5] He recorded his first career sack on December 12, 2013 in a loss to the San Diego Chargers. He had another sack the following week against the Houston Texans. On December 29, Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor bobbled a snap and Williams recovered it. As a rookie in 2013, Williams played 13 games with 22 tackles, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. The Broncos finished the season with a 13-3 record, clinching an AFC West and home field advantage throughout the playoffs, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII

2014 season

In the 2014 season, Williams played all 16 games, started 13 of them, making 22 tackles and a pass defended. The Broncos finished with a 12-4 record, clinching the 2nd seed and another AFC West pennant, but were defeated 24-13 by the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round.

2015 season

In the 2015 season, Williams started 15 games with 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Broncos finished the season with a 12-4 record, clinching another AFC West pennant. The Broncos defense was ranked #1 in the NFL in the 2015 year, helping them reach Super Bowl 50. During the Super Bowl, Williams recorded two tackles and defended a pass in the game.^[6] The Broncos won the game by a score of 24–10, giving Williams his first career championship title after defeating the Carolina Panthers.^[7] It was also the first time in 17 years and third time in franchise history the Broncos won the Super Bowl.^[8]

Tennessee Titans

On March 10, 2017, Williams signed a three-year contract with the Tennessee Titans.^[9]

References

External links

• Denver Broncos bio
• North Carolina Tar Heels bio