Jameson Williams

American football player (born 2001)

American football player
NFL draft:2022 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12Career history
  • Detroit Lions (2022–present)
Roster status:ActiveCareer highlights and awards Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:25
Receiving yards:395
Receiving touchdowns:3
Rushing yards:69
Rushing touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Jameson Demetri Williams[1] (born March 26, 2001) is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State before transferring to Alabama in 2021, where he was named an All-American. Williams was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Early years

Williams was born on March 26, 2001, and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School and played for their football team. As a junior, Williams caught 36 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.[2][3] He was named an Under Armour All-American after finishing his senior season with 68 receptions for 1,626 yards and 22 touchdowns.[4][5] Williams also ran track at Cardinal Ritter and won back-to-back Class 3 state titles in the 300 meter hurdles and set the state record.[6] He was rated a four-star football prospect and committed to play at Ohio State.[7]

College career

Ohio State

Williams began his collegiate career at Ohio State. He caught six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in his freshman season.[8] As a sophomore, Williams started six games and had nine receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. In the 2021 Sugar Bowl, Williams scored a touchdown on a 45-yard reception against Clemson in the College Football Playoffs Semifinal.[9] After the season, Williams announced that he would transfer to Alabama.[10][11] Jameson would finish up his Ohio State career winning 2 Big Ten Championships and a College football playoff Sugar Bowl win. Jameson Williams went on to play in the 2021 National Championship game against Alabama where the Buckeyes went on to lose 52-24.

Alabama

Williams high fives a teammate ahead of the 2022 CFP title game

Williams was named a starter for the Crimson Tide going into his first season with the team.[12] He made an instant impact with four receptions for 126 receiving yards and one touchdown in a 44–13 victory over Miami in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.[13] He was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 4 after returning three kickoffs for 177 yards and two touchdowns and also caught an 81-yard touchdown pass in a 63–14 win over Southern Miss.[14] He had ten receptions for 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 41–38 loss to Texas A&M on October 9.[15] On November 6, he had ten receptions for 160 receiving yards and one touchdown in a 20–14 victory over LSU.[16] One week later, he had six receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns in a 59–3 victory over New Mexico State.[17] In the following game, against Arkansas, he had eight receptions for 190 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 42–35 victory.[18] In the SEC Championship, a 41–24 victory over Georgia, he had seven receptions for 184 receiving yards and two touchdowns.[19] Williams was named first-team All-SEC and All-American as well as the conference's co-Special Teams Player of the Year.[20][21] Williams suffered a torn ACL in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship rematch with Georgia.[22] He finished the 2021 season with 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns.[23] He led the SEC in receiving yards, yards per reception, and receiving touchdowns.[24] He declared for the 2022 NFL Draft following the championship game and began to rehab from the injury.[25] Jameson would finish up his Alabama career with a 2021 Sec Championship, and a 2021 Cotton Bowl win.

College statistics

Season Team GP Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD
2019 Ohio State 4 6 112 18.7 61 1 0 0 0.0 0 0
2020 Ohio State 6 9 154 17.1 45 2 0 0 0.0 0 0
2021 Alabama 15 79 1,572 19.9 94 15 3 23 7.7 18 0
Career 25 94 1,838 19.6 61 18 3 23 7.7 18 0

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span
6 ft 1+12 in
(1.87 m)
179 lb
(81 kg)
32+18 in
(0.82 m)
9+14 in
(0.23 m)
All values from NFL Combine[26][27]

2022 season

Williams was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round (12th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[28] The pick was acquired with a second-round pick (used for Josh Paschal) via a trade with the Minnesota Vikings for Detroit's first, second, and third-round picks.[28]

He was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list to start the season on August 23, 2022, due to the torn ACL suffered in college.[29] Williams returned to practice on November 21, 2022, and was activated on December 3, prior to Week 13.[30][31] He made his debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, logging zero catches on one target in the Lions 40–14 victory.[32] The next week, his first career reception was a 41-yard receiving touchdown, contributing to a 34–23 victory over the same Minnesota Vikings team who traded his pick away.[33] In Week 17, he had a 40-yard rush in a 41–10 victory over the Chicago Bears.[34]

2023 season

Williams was one of four Lions players suspended for violating the NFL's gambling policy after an investigation by the league. The announcement was made in an NFL press release on April 21, 2023. The other Lions players were Stanley Berryhill, Quintez Cephus, and C. J. Moore. Cephus and Moore were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games, as was Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney. Williams and Berryhill were suspended for six games due to mobile betting on a college football game that occurred at a hotel room during a team road trip, in violation of league rules.[35][36][37] Williams' ban was lifted on October 3 after only four games, two weeks shorter than originally announced.[38]

In his season debut in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, Williams caught two passes for two yards while having a dropped pass as well.[39] In Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams caught two of his three targets for 53 yards, which included a 45-yard touchdown catch.[40]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Tgt Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2022 DET 6 0 9 1 41 41.0 41 1 1 40 40.0 40 0 0 0
2023 DET 12 10 42 24 354 14.8 63 2 3 29 9.7 19 1 1 0
Career 18 10 51 25 395 15.8 63 3 4 69 17.3 40 1 1 0

Postseason

Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Tgt Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2023 DET 3 2 9 6 79 13.2 24 1 1 42 42.0 42 1 0 0
Career 3 2 9 6 78 13.2 24 1 1 42 42.0 42 1 0 0

References

  1. ^ "Jameson Williams". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  2. ^ Trieu, Allen (August 11, 2017). "Trieu: Speed makes WR Jameson Williams top MSU target". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Wasserman, Ari (November 15, 2018). "Moving on from Zach Smith: Jameson Williams' commitment, Brian Hartline's future and Ohio State's image". The Athletic. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "WR: Jameson Williams, Cardinal Ritter". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. May 2, 2020. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Smith, Cam (November 26, 2018). "Ohio State WR pledge Jameson Williams ready for Under Armour glory". USA TODAY High School Sports. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  6. ^ Kvidahl, David (April 3, 2017). "Ritter's Williams breaks record; Lafayette Hindman adds to resume". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Kvidahl, David (September 28, 2018). "Cardinal Ritter's Williams commits to Ohio State". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Prescott, Adam (October 3, 2020). "Sophomore Speedster Jameson Williams Ready to Explode?". SI.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  9. ^ Zenitz, Matt (May 6, 2021). "Why Alabama wanted Jameson Williams and vice versa". AL.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  10. ^ Baird, Nathan (April 28, 2021). "Ohio State football's Jameson Williams in transfer portal as attrition continues in loaded receiver corps". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  11. ^ Scarborough, Alex (May 3, 2021). "Former Ohio State Buckeyes WR Jameson Williams transferring to Alabama football program". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Casagrande, Michael (August 19, 2021). "Saban expects Ohio State transfer WR will be 'a featured guy'". AL.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  13. ^ "Alabama vs Miami (FL) Box Score, September 4, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  14. ^ De Siver, Hunter (September 27, 2021). "Jameson Williams Breaks School Record in Win Against Southern Miss". WVUA23.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "Alabama at Texas A&M Box Score, October 9, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  16. ^ "LSU at Alabama Box Score, November 6, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "New Mexico State at Alabama Box Score, November 13, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  18. ^ "Arkansas at Alabama Box Score, November 20, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  19. ^ "Georgia vs Alabama Box Score, December 4, 2021". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  20. ^ Matter, Dave (December 8, 2021). "Mizzou's Tyler Badie, Alabama's Jameson Williams earn unanimous AP All-SEC honors". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  21. ^ Kelly, Nick (December 14, 2021). "Bryce Young, Evan Neal become consensus All-Americans; 4 from Alabama on Sporting News first team". Tuscaloosa News. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  22. ^ Schlabach, Mark (January 11, 2022). "Sources: Star Alabama Crimson Tide WR Jameson Williams has torn ACL". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  23. ^ "Jameson Williams 2021 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  24. ^ "2021 Southeastern Conference Leaders". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Scarborough, Alex (January 13, 2022). "Alabama Crimson Tide WR Jameson Williams declares for NFL draft". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  26. ^ "Jameson Williams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  27. ^ "Jameson Williams, Alabama, WR, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Twentyman, Tim (April 28, 2022). "Lions trade up, draft wide receiver Jameson Williams". DetroitLions.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  29. ^ Twentyman, Tim (August 23, 2022). "Lions place 3 players on Reserve/PUP, 1 on Reserve/NFI". DetroitLions.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  30. ^ Pouncy, Colton; Funston, Brandon (November 21, 2022). "Lions' Jameson Williams returning to practice Monday". The Athletic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  31. ^ Booher, Christian (December 3, 2022). "Lions Activate WR Jameson Williams". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  32. ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions - December 4th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  33. ^ "Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions - December 11th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  34. ^ "Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions - January 1st, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  35. ^ Layton, Jeremy (April 21, 2023). "Jameson Williams, four other NFL players suspended for gambling". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  36. ^ Woodyard, Eric (April 21, 2023). "Jameson Williams among 4 Lions plus Washington DE suspended for betting". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  37. ^ Wells, Adam (April 21, 2023). "Lions' Jameson Williams Among NFL Players Suspended for Violating Gambling Policy". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  38. ^ Woodyard, Eric. "Lions' Jameson Williams 'excited' to be back from gambling ban". ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  39. ^ Birkett, Dave. "Detroit Lions' Jameson Williams quiet in season debut: One drop, two catches, 2 yards". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  40. ^ Koslow, Ari. "Jameson Williams finds the end zone in Week 6". Fantasy Pros. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jameson Williams.
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