Content deleted Content added
m WP:POSTMOVE (via WP:JWB) |
Red Director (talk | contribs) |
||
Line 1:
{{Short description|American football player (born 1968)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Aeneas Williams
Line 66:
At Southern, he concentrated on his academics, not playing football until his junior year. Eventually, after being encouraged by his old high school teammate [[Maurice Hurst (cornerback)|Maurice Hurst]], he decided to join the team as a walk-on. He started out playing mostly on special teams, but made the starting lineup in the 5th game. Williams kept his involvement with the football team a secret from his family until he made the travel squad for the 2nd game of the season. In the following season, Williams was named to the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference team after leading the conference with seven interceptions. In 1990, Williams stayed on the team as a [[graduate student]] and fifth year senior in order to improve his draft status. He made the ALL SAC team again and tied the [[NCAA Division I-AA|Division I-AA, (now known as the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision)]] record for most interceptions with eleven.
Williams finished his college career with 20 interceptions and 28 pass deflections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aeneas Williams – Hall of Fame |url=https://allstatesugarbowl.org/classic/aeneas-williams-hall-of-fame/
==Professional career==
Line 85:
| arm span = 30 1/2
| hand span = 8 7/8
| note = All values from [[NFL Combine]]<ref>{{Cite web
}}
Williams's numbers impressed the then-Phoenix Cardinals enough that they selected him in the third round of the [[1991 NFL draft]], Williams quickly established himself with an exceptional rookie season, tying the NFC lead for interceptions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1991/draft.htm |access-date=May 7, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1994, he led the NFL in interceptions with 9. By [[1997 NFL season|1997]], Williams had already notched four [[Pro Bowl]] appearances and had established himself as the Cardinals' top cornerback, routinely covering the opponents' lead receivers. In the 1998 season, Williams helped the Cardinals win their first playoff game since 1947 by intercepting two passes from [[Troy Aikman]] in a 20–7 win over the [[Dallas Cowboys]], and added another interception in the Cardinals 41–21 loss in the divisional round. Despite playing mostly for bad teams (1998 was the only time he played on a winning team during his 10 years in Arizona), Williams was recognized as one of the best cornerbacks in the league, making six Pro Bowls in all as a Cardinal. He is regarded as one of the best defenders and players in Cardinals history, as well as one of the greatest shutdown corners of all time. In 2000, he tied an NFL record, held by Jack Tatum of the Oakland Raiders, by returning a fumble (caused by [[Mark Maddox]]) 104 yards for a touchdown in a game against the [[Washington Redskins]].
In Week 3 of the [[1999 NFL season|1999 season]], in a game played at [[Sun Devil Stadium]] and nationally televised on [[Monday Night Football]], Williams delivered the hit which ultimately ended Hall of Fame [[San Francisco 49ers]]' quarterback [[Steve Young (American football)|Steve Young]]'s career. Williams came in on a cornerback blitz from Young's blindside and scored a clean text-book tackle that launched Young backward
In 2001, Williams was traded to the St. Louis Rams on draft day in exchange for picks in the second and fourth rounds.<ref>[http://archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/features_2000/spin_042301.asp Pro Football Weekly] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060217103745/http://archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/features_2000/spin_042301.asp |date=February 17, 2006}}</ref> Due to roster concerns, Williams switched to free safety. As one of the leaders of a much-improved defense, Williams got a chance to play in the postseason for only the second time in his career. In the Rams' divisional playoff game against the [[Green Bay Packers]] prior to the Super Bowl, he returned two interceptions from Packers quarterback [[Brett Favre]] for touchdowns and recovered a fumble. Then in the NFC title game, he intercepted a pass from [[Philadelphia Eagles]] quarterback [[Donovan McNabb]], with 2 minutes left in regulation, clinching the game and ensuring the Rams' berth in [[Super Bowl XXXVI]]. However, the Rams lost that game to the [[New England Patriots]].
Line 99:
==Post-playing career==
Williams was inducted into the Arizona Cardinals' Ring of Honor during the 2008–2009 football season during halftime of the Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers November 10, 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Williams to Ring, McKinnon to Hall |url=http://archive.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2008/05/07/20080507cardsnews.html
Williams is currently the founding pastor of Spirit Church in [[St. Ann, Missouri|St. Ann]], a suburb of St. Louis. He and his wife Tracy have three daughters Saenea (Aeneas spelled backwards), Tirzah, Cheyenne, and a son, Lazarus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's up with Aeneas Williams |url=http://archive.azcentral.com/sports/heatindex/articles/0520whatsup.html
Williams was a finalist for the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] classes of 2012 and 2013 but did not get voted in on the final ballots both times.<ref>{{
On September 24, 2014, Williams was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
Line 111:
==Further reading==
* {{
==External links==
| |||