Mike Williams (wide receiver)
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| Tennessee Titans — No. 18 | |
| Wide receiver | |
| Date of birth: January 4, 1984 | |
| Place of birth: Tampa, Florida | |
| Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | Weight: 230 lb (100 kg) |
| National Football League debut | |
|---|---|
| 2005 for the Detroit Lions | |
| Career history | |
| College: Southern California | |
| NFL Draft: 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10 | |
Teams:
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| Current status: Active | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
Mike Williams[1] (born January 4, 1984 in Tampa, Florida) is an American football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions 10th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.
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[edit] Early years
Growing up, Williams was a Buffalo Bills fan. His favorite player was Barry Sanders (who played for the Detroit Lions), whom he enjoyed watching have good games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his hometown team. Williams attended Henry B. Plant High School (also attended by Wade Boggs) in Tampa, Florida.
[edit] High school career
[edit] Football
As a senior in 2001, Williams had 38 receptions for 789 yards (20.8 avg.) with 12 touchdowns. Williams' honors included Tom Lemming All-American, Super Prep All-Dixie, PrepStar All-Southeast Region, St. Petersburg Times All-Suncoast second team, and Tampa Tribune All-Hillsborough County
During his junior year (2000), Williams made the All-State Class 4A second team while making 35 receptions for 803 yards (22.9 avg.) and 12 touchdowns.
As a sophomore (1999), Williams made 28 receptions for 631 yards (22.5 avg.).
[edit] Career statistics
| High School Career Receiving Statistics | |||||||
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TD | LNG |
| 1999 | Henry B. Plant High School Panthers | -- | 28 | 631 | 22.5 | -- | -- |
| 2000 | Henry B. Plant High School Panthers | -- | 35 | 803 | 22.9 | 12 | -- |
| 2001 | Henry B. Plant High School Panthers | -- | 38 | 789 | 20.8 | 12 | -- |
| Total | -- | 101 | 3,657 | 36.2 | 24 | -- | |
[edit] Basketball
Williams also played basketball, averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists as a senior in 2002. As a junior in 2001, Williams earned Tampa Tribune All-Hillsborough County first team honors, averaging 14.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists while helping his team to the state semifinals.
[edit] College career
Before attending USC, Williams was offered scholarships to Florida State University and the University of Florida, but neither school saw him as a wide receiver. Williams played split end wide receiver during most of his games for the USC Trojans. Williams played in all 26 games during his freshman and sophomore years at USC, and started 15 of those games. He wore the number 1 while on the football team.
[edit] Freshman season (2002)
His freshman season, he had 81 receptions for 1,265 yards and 14 touchdowns. These statistics are all USC and Pacific 10 Conference freshman records.
In his 2002, Williams finished with 14 touchdown catches (second most in the nation) equaling the school record, while make a team-high 81 receptions for 1,256 yards for a 15.6 avg.
Williams was named First-Team Freshman All-American choice by The Sporting News, Scripps/Football Writers, and Rivals.com. Selected as the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, named to the All-Pac-10 second team, All-American honorable mention, The Sporting News Freshman All-Pac-10 first team, and The Sporting News All-Pac-10 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.
[edit] Sophomore season (2003)
He began his sophomore season in 2003, which resulted in 95 catches leading to 1,314 yards and 16 touchdowns. Williams was also, a finalist for 2003 Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver), Williams also finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting. He also earned first team All-American (AP, ESPN.com, Football Writers, and SI.com among others). Also was a 2003 All-Pac-10 First Team and CBS.Sportsline.com National Player of the Year.
In his final season, as a sophomore, Williams started all 13 games at wide receiver, and led the Trojans in receiving yards and touchdowns. That year, he caught 95 passes for 1,314 yards (13.8 avg.) and 16 touchdowns, he also completed two pass attempts for 38 yards and one touchdown against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and blocked a field goal. His 16 touchdown receptions, were the most by a Trojan since 1981.
[edit] Career statistics
| Collegiate Career Receiving Statistics | |||||||
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TD | LNG |
| 2002 | USC Trojans | 13 | 81 | 1,265 | 15.6 | 14 | 55 |
| 2003 | USC Trojans | 13 | 95 | 1,314 | 13.8 | 16 | 40 |
| Total | 26 | 176 | 2,579 | 14.7 | 30 | 55 | |
[edit] Awards and honors
- Second-team All-Pac-10 (2002)
- Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2002)
- First-team Sporting News Freshman All-American (2002)
- Honorable mention All-American (2002)
- First-team All-Pac-10 (2003)
- Consensus First-team All-American (2003)
- Biletnikoff Award finalist (2003)
- CBS Sportsline.com National Player of the Year (2003)
[edit] Professional career
[edit] NFL draft controversy
Williams was projected as a high first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft when a court decision allowed him to apply for entry into the draft after his sophomore season, but he was not selected due to a stay placed on that decision by the ruling made by a federal judge in the case of Maurice Clarett. After being denied in his attempt to have his NCAA eligibility reinstated, he sat out the 2004 season. He could not return to college athletics afterwards because he had already hired an agent.
[edit] Pre-draft
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||
| Wt | 40 yd | 20ss | 3-cone | Vert | BP | Wonderlic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 229 lb* | 4.56s* | 4.23s | 6.98s | 38.5 in[2] | X | 20[3] | |||
(* represents NFL Combine)
[edit] Detroit Lions
He was selected 10th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, the third WR drafted in the first round in as many years by the Lions. Williams selected jersey #88, which had been retired in honor of Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders.
As a rookie in 2005, Williams, appeared in 14 games with four starts. Williams recorded his first touchdown catch in his NFL debut, a 3-yard pass from quarterback Joey Harrington, in the season opener against Green Bay. Williams made his first career start against the Ravens and had 1 reception for 7 yards. Williams had a career long, 49 yard reception in Cleveland. He finished that game with 5 receptions for 95 yards. Williams then again started in Minnesota and had 4 receptions for 43 yards. Three-of-four receptions were for first downs. Williams was then inactive for the Lions game in Dallas due to an injured ankle. Williams had a season-high 6 receptions for 84 yards against Atlanta. Had a 21-yard reception for a first down in New Orleans on the Lions opening drive.
He finished his rookie season with 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown while playing in 14 games with four starts.
In 2006, Williams was on the inactive list for both of the Lions' first two games. He played in just eight games in the 2006 season, and made eight catches for 99 yards and one touchdown. During the Lions' Week 15 loss at Green Bay, Williams led the Lions in receiving yards after catching three passes for 42 yards. Williams caught two more passes in a Week 16 loss to Chicago, but posted several drops as well, and was unable to secure a potential game-winning touchdown pass thrown by Jon Kitna as time expired. During the Lions' Week 17 win on the in Dallas, Williams caught two passes for 28 yards, including a fourth quarter 21-yard touchdown pass.
[edit] Oakland Raiders
Williams was traded along with Josh McCown to the Oakland Raiders during the first day of the 2007 NFL Draft in exchange for a 2007 fourth-round pick which the Lions used to select A.J. Davis. In Oakland, Williams reunited with his former college positions coach Lane Kiffin, the current head coach with the Oakland Raiders.
On October 28, 2007 in a road game against the Tennessee Titans, Raiders quarterback Daunte Culpepper threw a pass to Williams which, if caught, would have given the Raiders the first down and brought them into the red zone. Instead, Williams dropped the football and the Raiders lost possession, on a turnover on downs, and lost the game because the Titans maintained possession of the football for the remaining time on the clock. Williams' error turned out to be his last play with Oakland as the Raiders released him a few days afterward.[4]
[edit] Tennessee Titans
Williams signed with the Tennessee Titans on November 22, 2007[5], reuniting him with former USC running back LenDale White. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Williams weighed 271 pounds at the time of the signing - an unusually high weight for a wide receiver. Williams has had weight issues throughout his career, and some schools recruited him as a tight end out of high school.[citation needed] He was inactive for his first game with the team. Williams lost 30 pounds in the off-season and reported to OTA's in May 2008 at 240 pounds and is working extensively with new Offensive Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger on staying in shape.
[edit] Career statistics
| Professional Career Receiving Statistics | |||||||
| Year | Team | G | Rec | Yards | Y/R | TD | LNG |
| 2005 | Detroit Lions | 14 | 29 | 350 | 12.1 | 1 | 49 |
| 2006 | Detroit Lions | 8 | 8 | 99 | 12.4 | 1 | 21 |
| 2007 | Oakland Raiders | 6 | 7 | 90 | 12.9 | 0 | 24 |
| 2007 | Tennessee Titans | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 30 | 44 | 539 | 12.2 | 2 | 49 | |
[edit] Personal
- He has said that he loves classic cars. He owns two 1973 Chevrolet Impalas and a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle.
- He says he doesn’t watch TV, but owns all of The Simpsons episodes on DVD.
- He has a ritual before every game, he lays his uniform out on the floor.
- During the off-season, Williams coaches football at the YMCA in Tampa that he attended as a youth.
- After his football career has ended, he has said, he would like to be a television football analyst – “one that actually knows about football, not one that just tries to be controversial.”
- Williams was married July 2007 in St. Petersburg, Florida[citation needed].
[edit] References
- ^ Official Site of the Tennessee Titans
- ^ Packers.com » News » Stories » April 19, 2005: Gil Brandt's NFL Draft Analysis By Position: Wide Receivers
- ^ *Mike Williams, WR, Southern Cal - 2005 NFL Draft Scout Profile, Powered by The SportsXchange
- ^ Raiders Cut Mike Williams - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog
- ^ Tennessee Titants 2007 Transactions. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
[edit] External links
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