David Williams (wide receiver) should not be confused with Dave Williams (wide receiver).
| David Williams | |
| Birth Date: | June 10, 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Import: | yes |
| Position1: | Wide receiver |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 3 |
| Weight Lb: | 190 |
| College: | Illinois |
| High School: | Junípero Serra (Gardena, California) |
| Nfldraftedyear: | 1986 |
| Nfldraftedround: | 3 |
| Nfldraftedpick: | 82 |
| Nfldraftedteam: | Chicago Bears |
| Playing Years1: | 1986 |
| Playing Team1: | Chicago Bears |
| Playing Years2: | 1986 |
| Playing Team2: | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Playing Years3: | 1987 |
| Playing Team3: | Los Angeles Raiders |
| Playing Years4: | – |
| Playing Team4: | BC Lions |
| Playing Team5: | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Playing Team6: | Edmonton Eskimos |
| Playing Years7: | – |
| Playing Team7: | Toronto Argonauts |
| Playing Years8: | – |
| Playing Team8: | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| Career Highlights: |
|
| Cfleastallstar: | , |
| Cflwestallstar: | , |
| Nfl: | WIL213246 |
| Databasefootball: | WILLIDAV03 |
| Collegehof: | 2166 |
| Cfhof: | david-williams |
David Lamar Williams (born June 10, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Williams was named a unanimous All-American twice playing college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and is an inducted member of the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Canadian Football Hall of Fame .
Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame[1] in 2005.
Williams attended Serra High School in Gardena, California. Williams attended Los Angeles Harbor College where he was a junior college All-American.
Williams played at Illinois from 1983 to 1985. Under the prolific passing offense of coach Mike White, Williams set many Illinois receiving records, and was a consensus two-time First-team All-American.
In Williams' first season, the 1983 Fighting Illini finished the regular season with a record of 10–1, including a 9–0 mark in Big Ten games. Williams caught 59 passes for 870 yards, with six touchdowns. As Big Ten champions, the Fighting Illini played UCLA in the 1984 Rose Bowl. Williams caught 10 passes for 88 yards in a 45–9 loss.
In 1984, Williams led all NCAA Division I receivers with 101 receptions, 1278 receiving yards, and 9.2 receptions per game. His 101 receptions made Williams the second player in NCAA history to have more than 100 receptions in a season. Williams was a consensus First-team All-American
Williams was again a consensus First-team All-American in 1985. He caught 85 passes for 1047 yards and had eight touchdown receptions in the regular season. Illinois played Army in the 1985 Peach Bowl, and Williams caught seven passes for 109 yards, including touchdown catches of 15 and 54 yards, although Illinois lost by the score of 31–29.
Williams finished his collegiate career as the second leading receiver in NCAA history. In 1990, Williams was named to Illinois' 25-man All-Century Team, chosen as part of the celebration of 100 years of Illinois football.
As of 2005 Illinois Football Media Guide
As of 2005 NCAA Division I Football Record Book
Note: the NCAA does not recognize postseason statistics prior to 2002 in the official records.
Including bowl games
| Season | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | Yards/Reception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 69 | 958 | 6 | 15.7 | |
| 1984 | 101 | 1278 | 8 | 12.7 | |
| 1985 | 92 | 1156 | 10 | 12.6 | |
| Total | 262 | 3392 | 24 | 12.9 |
Williams was taken in the third round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, with the 82nd overall selection.[2] He has the rare distinction of being a 3rd round pick who was cut before the season started. Williams would play two seasons in the National Football League, but would never be able to duplicate his collegiate success in the NFL. Williams played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986[3] and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987, and would finish his NFL career with 10 catches for 195 yards.
Williams played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League. He played for the BC Lions in 1988 and 1989, the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1990, the Edmonton Eskimos in 1991, the Toronto Argonauts in 1991 and 1992 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1993 to 1995. He won the CFL's Outstanding Player Award in 1988, and played in the classic 76th Grey Cup game in 1988, scoring one touchdown. He won a Grey Cup title for the Toronto Argonauts in 1991.
Williams was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019.