Mario Williams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Mario Williams (2nd from l), talks with Marine Cpl. Ian Lampman and Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth Barnes at the Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Lejeune, N.C. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Brandon Love) |
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| Houston Texans — No. 90 | |
| Defensive end | |
| Date of birth: January 31, 1985 | |
| Place of birth: Richlands, North Carolina | |
| Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | Weight: 291 lb (132 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 2006 for the Houston Texans | |
| Career history | |
| College: North Carolina State | |
| NFL Draft: 2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | |
Teams:
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Selected NFL statistics (through Week 17 of the 2007 NFL season) |
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| Tackles | 106 |
| Sacks | 18.5 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Mario Jerrel Williams (born January 31, 1985 in Richlands, North Carolina) is a defensive end for the Houston Texans in the National Football League. He played college football at NC State University from 2003 to 2005. He was selected first overall by the Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft, being the first Atlantic Coast Conference player chosen as the first overall pick.
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[edit] College career
While playing in the ACC under coach Chuck Amato, Williams played the defensive end position. He was a "blue chip" recruit coming out of Richlands High School, and he did not disappoint, starting at DE all three seasons. He recorded 175 tackles and 25.5 sacks in his 36 game career. He was named to Sports Illustrated's All-American team in 2005 and was named to the All-ACC team in and 2005.
At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.66 seconds with a 40.5 inch vertical leap, 10-foot broad jump and did 35 repetitions in the 225-pound bench press. During the 2005 season, he started 12 games, recording 62 total tackles with 24 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, 15 hurries, a safety and a blocked kick.[1] He maintained a 3.68 grade point average and according to reports, he would often be seen studying in the library on Friday and Saturday nights.
[edit] NFL career
[edit] 2006 NFL Draft
Mario Williams left school one year early to enter the 2006 NFL Draft. Coming out of college, Mario was called an elite prospect, "an amazing natural athlete with rare ability" and "an outstanding pass rusher who can dominate a game".[2]
On the eve of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans announced that they had signed the N.C. State standout to a six-year, $54 million contract, ending speculation that Houston would draft USC running back Reggie Bush or hometown quarterback Vince Young. Texans GM Charley Casserly stated that while he believes both Reggie Bush and Vince Young will make excellent pros, the Texans chose to improve defensively. One of the main reasons the Texans wanted Williams is because they wanted to slow down Peyton Manning of the division rival Indianapolis Colts.[3] On Saturday, April 29, 2006, Mario Williams was selected as the #1 overall draft pick for the Houston Texans in the 2006 NFL draft.[1] Back in Houston, however, many people booed as he was picked.[4]
It has been reported that more than $26 million of the contract will be in guaranteed money, and provided that Williams lives up to performance goals listed in the contract, the deal could be worth more than $60 million all together. Many commentators immediately criticized the decision to select Williams ahead of Bush, with Len Pasquarelli claiming that the administration of the Houston Texans was "suffering from astigmatism".[5], and ESPN columnist Bill Simmons suggesting that all professional sports teams should hire a Vice President of Common Sense[6].
[edit] Houston Texans[edit] 2006 seasonOn October 1st, 2006, Williams recorded his first sack and a half against the Miami Dolphins' Daunte Culpepper in the Texans first win of the season 17-15. Three weeks later on October 22nd, Williams sacked Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich and recovered a fumble in the Texans 27-7 upset. In the 2006 season, Mario Williams accumulated 47 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. [edit] 2007 seasonEarly in the 2007 season Mario Williams played well with an outstanding performance in the first game of his sophomore season. The defensive end had five tackles, two sacks, and returned a fumble by Chief's rookie fullback Mark Asaud for a touchdown. He had particularly big games against the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, sacking Jay Cutler 3.5 times and Vince Young 2.5 times in one game each. He also had his first sack against Peyton Manning in 2007.[8] Before the game Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy compared Mario to Colts Pro Bowl Defensive End Dwight Freeney.[3] He finished the season with 59 total tackles and 14 sacks. The 2007 season was a year that Williams answered many of the critics that he gained because of his lofty Number 1 draft pick status. [9] In 2007 year, through 15 games, he accounted for 48 percent of his teams sacks, a higher percentage than any other player. [9] However, Mario Williams was not elected to the Pro Bowl and stirred up controversy as to whether the NFL should change the procedure. [edit] Personal lifeWhen not playing football, Mario Williams enjoys playing video games or with his remote control cars or helicopter. [8] Mario also has a collection of 10 guns, including a Browning machine gun rifle, a Desert Eagle pistol and AR-10 and AR-15 rifles. [8] When asked about his gun collection Mario responded, “I’m from the country, man, I’m big on that”.[8] He is currenlty happily dating C. Bradley, a woman from Houston. [edit] Career statistics
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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