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Legendary St. Louis Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams officially joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2, 2014 in Canton, Ohio. His hard work and dedication was recognized and celebrated with the highly coveted Gold Jacket and a life-like bust of himself. Williams will forever be immortalized in the Hall of Fame and was joined by six other inductees as part of the 2014 class: Derrick Brooks, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Andre Reed and Michael Strahan.
The road to Canton took some time and plenty of patience on Williams’s part and it almost didn’t happen at all. The following is a look at his college and pro football career:
Life-Altering Decision: Williams attended college at Southern University with no plans of playing football. He had one thing in mind and that was school. It wasn’t until his junior year that he finally decided to play football and discovered that he had a knack for the game. He became an All-American in 1990, after snagging 11 interceptions that season with the Jaguars. His success captured the attention of many scouts and eventually found himself in position to be drafted. Williams was drafted in the third round (59th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals.
Williams begins career with the Phoenix Cardinals: Williams came out of the gates ready to make an impact. He did not disappoint and Cardinal fans alike became aware of his potential when he recorded six interceptions, 48 tackles and had two fumble recoveries during his rookie season in 1991.
Williams did not become a household name until 1994, when he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. The young cornerback earned a reputation for being a ballhawk after leading the league with nine interceptions. Williams became a familiar name on the Pro Bowl roster, as he was selected a total of six consecutive times from 1994-1999 and was named All-Pro twice during that span.
While Williams was known more for being a coverage specialist, he was also physical when he needed to be, just ask legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young. Williams essentially ended Young’s career with a clean hit to his blindside in Week 3 of the 1999 season.
Williams played his final season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2000. As a Cardinal, Williams compiled 46 interceptions, 498 tackles, 14 fumble recoveries and eight defensive touchdowns in 10 seasons.
Williams brings defensive stability to the Greatest Show on Turf: The St. Louis Rams felt the pressure to add veteran defensive pieces to continue their quest for more Super Bowl championships. That’s when they inquired about Williams and eventually agreed to send a second round pick (54th overall) and a fourth round pick (123rd overall) to the Cardinals in exchange for the veteran cornerback. Williams then agreed to a three year, $14.7 million contract extension with a $3.6 million signing bonus.
The trade paid off right away, because Williams was an instrumental part of the Rams’ 2001 Super Bowl run. He was not only selected to the Pro Bowl that season, but was named an All-Pro. His biggest moments came during the divisional playoff game where he picked off future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Farve twice and returned them both for a touchdown. He also had a fumble recovery that game. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to earn a ring with the Rams. St. Louis lost in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, 20-17.
In 2003, the Rams moved Williams over to free safety, and he responded well. He earned a spot on the Pro Bowl roster for a final time. He recorded a total of 59 tackles, four interceptions and had two defensive touchdowns.
Retirement
Williams retired after the 2004 season after battling some tough injuries. During his time spent with the Rams, he earned two trips to Hawaii, named an All-Pro, and recorded 174 tackles, nine interceptions, nine fumble recoveries and four defensive touchdowns in only four seasons.
Overall, Williams became an eight-time Pro Bowler and was named an All-Pro three times during his 14-year career. He finished his career with 672 tackles, 55 interceptions, 23 fumble recoveries and 12 defensive touchdowns. If there ever was a defensive back that earned their place in the Hall of Fame, it was Williams. And to think, it almost didn’t happen.
Source:
Bleacherreport.com,Nfl.com, Pro-football-reference.com, Stlouisrams.com, Stltoday.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
1991 NFL Draft, Aeneas Williams, Andre Reed, Brett Farve, Claude Humphrey, Derrick Brooks, featured, Michael Strahan, NFL, Phoenix Cardinals, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ray Guy, Southern University, St. Louis Rams, Steve Young, Walter Jones
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Legendary St. Louis Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams officially joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 2, 2014 in Canton, Ohio. His hard work and dedication was recognized and celebrated with the highly coveted Gold Jacket and a life-like bust of himself. Williams will forever be immortalized in the Hall of Fame and was joined by six other inductees as part of the 2014 class: Derrick Brooks, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Andre Reed and Michael Strahan.
The road to Canton took some time and plenty of patience on Williams’s part and it almost didn’t happen at all. The following is a look at his college and pro football career:
Life-Altering Decision: Williams attended college at Southern University with no plans of playing football. He had one thing in mind and that was school. It wasn’t until his junior year that he finally decided to play football and discovered that he had a knack for the game. He became an All-American in 1990, after snagging 11 interceptions that season with the Jaguars. His success captured the attention of many scouts and eventually found himself in position to be drafted. Williams was drafted in the third round (59th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals.
Williams begins career with the Phoenix Cardinals: Williams came out of the gates ready to make an impact. He did not disappoint and Cardinal fans alike became aware of his potential when he recorded six interceptions, 48 tackles and had two fumble recoveries during his rookie season in 1991.
Williams did not become a household name until 1994, when he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. The young cornerback earned a reputation for being a ballhawk after leading the league with nine interceptions. Williams became a familiar name on the Pro Bowl roster, as he was selected a total of six consecutive times from 1994-1999 and was named All-Pro twice during that span.
While Williams was known more for being a coverage specialist, he was also physical when he needed to be, just ask legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young. Williams essentially ended Young’s career with a clean hit to his blindside in Week 3 of the 1999 season.
Williams played his final season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2000. As a Cardinal, Williams compiled 46 interceptions, 498 tackles, 14 fumble recoveries and eight defensive touchdowns in 10 seasons.
Williams brings defensive stability to the Greatest Show on Turf: The St. Louis Rams felt the pressure to add veteran defensive pieces to continue their quest for more Super Bowl championships. That’s when they inquired about Williams and eventually agreed to send a second round pick (54th overall) and a fourth round pick (123rd overall) to the Cardinals in exchange for the veteran cornerback. Williams then agreed to a three year, $14.7 million contract extension with a $3.6 million signing bonus.
The trade paid off right away, because Williams was an instrumental part of the Rams’ 2001 Super Bowl run. He was not only selected to the Pro Bowl that season, but was named an All-Pro. His biggest moments came during the divisional playoff game where he picked off future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Farve twice and returned them both for a touchdown. He also had a fumble recovery that game. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to earn a ring with the Rams. St. Louis lost in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, 20-17.
In 2003, the Rams moved Williams over to free safety, and he responded well. He earned a spot on the Pro Bowl roster for a final time. He recorded a total of 59 tackles, four interceptions and had two defensive touchdowns.
Retirement
Williams retired after the 2004 season after battling some tough injuries. During his time spent with the Rams, he earned two trips to Hawaii, named an All-Pro, and recorded 174 tackles, nine interceptions, nine fumble recoveries and four defensive touchdowns in only four seasons.
Overall, Williams became an eight-time Pro Bowler and was named an All-Pro three times during his 14-year career. He finished his career with 672 tackles, 55 interceptions, 23 fumble recoveries and 12 defensive touchdowns. If there ever was a defensive back that earned their place in the Hall of Fame, it was Williams. And to think, it almost didn’t happen.
Source:
Bleacherreport.com,Nfl.com, Pro-football-reference.com, Stlouisrams.com, Stltoday.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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