Former Buffalo Bills DT Kyle Williams - Jeffery T. Barnes/AP Photo
Kyle Williams, known as the team’s “Heart and Soul,” was the Buffalo Bills’ fifth-round pick out of LSU in the 2006 NFL draft. He was one of only six players to play at least 13 years with the same team. The Bills only made the playoffs once during his tenure.
Let’s examine how Williams used his leadership abilities on and off the field to help his team become their best defensive unit.
Spotlight: Kyle Williams: The Beginning
Born and raised in Ruston, Louisiana, Kyle Derrick Williams attended Ruston High School. As a multi-talented athlete, Williams starred in football, baseball, and track and field. His football talents acquired him the 5A Louisiana Defensive MVP as a senior. Additionally, he registered 78 tackles, 17 for a loss, and seven sacks. According to Rivals.com, Williams is a four-star recruiting prospect. His freakish athleticism also translated to track and field, where he recorded a shot-put distance of 53 feet, 3 inches.
Williams inherited his strong work style and passion for sports from his parents. Both of them supported his athletic dreams. They also ingrained it in the home where discipline and tenacity ruled supreme. Because of these values, it ended up helping him down the line, as his career would take him to the NFL.
Spotlight: Kyle Williams: College Career
Williams went to Louisiana State University (LSU) and played for the LSU Tigers. From 2002 to 2005, he participated in 46 games and started 33 at defensive tackle. When his college career ended, Williams tallied 16.5 quarterback sacks and 26 tackles for loss. In addition, he made 140 tackles. Most of all, Williams had a career season as a senior. He made 61 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. The talented defensive tackle was also designated first-team All-American and second-team All-American by the Associated Press.
Spotlight: Kyle Williams Playing for the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills selected Williams with the 134th pick in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft. Bills’ GM Marv Levy had already selected DT John McCargo with the 26th pick. By going to the well again, Levy thought having two young DTs to fill in for veterans Sam Adams and Pat Williams would complement well in new head coach Dick Jauron’s 4-3 base defense. The Bills signed Williams to a three-year, $1.80 million deal with a $144,750 signing bonus.
Spotlight: Kyle Williams 2006
Williams’ first NFL game was on Sunday, September 10, 2006, against the New England Patriots. The Bills lost (19-17), but Williams made six combined tackles. The proficient athlete’s first professional start came on October 15, when the Bills took on the Detroit Lions. Once again, the Bills lost (20-17), but Williams made a combination of five tackles.
As a result, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell designated Williams the permanent starting defensive tackle for the rest of his rookie year. In Week 17, Williams made a record-high seven combined tackles, but the Bills lost to the Baltimore Ravens (19-7). Williams finished the season, starting in 11 games, with 53 combined tackles (33 solo) and a pass deflection while playing in 16 games.
2007
Williams came into training camp penciled in as the Bills’ starting defensive tackle. Despite the mini competition between McGargo and Tim Anderson, Williams, and Larry Triplett earned the starting defensive tackle roles from coach Jauron to start 2007.
On October 28, Williams made four combined tackles and tallied his first career sack on quarterback Chad Pennington, and the Bills beat the New York Jets (13-3). In week 13, he totaled a season-high six combined tackles while being credited with a half a sack as the Bills defeated the Washington Redskins (17-16). A week later, he tallied five solo tackles and one assisted tackle while being credited with half a sack. The Bills squished the fish (38-17). Williams appeared in all 16 starts and tallied 41 combined tackles (28 solo) and two sacks in 2007.
2008
The Bills extended Williams to a three-year, $14.5 million contract extension that contained $5.70 million guaranteed plus a $1.79 million signing bonus. Head Coach Jauron kept Williams in the starting defensive tackle role for the 2008 season. Marcus Stoud, Aaron Schobel, and Chris Kelsey joined him on the defensive line. In Week 2, he made five combined tackles and registered a sack on David Garrard. This would mark his third career sack, and the Bills would go on to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars (20-16).
On December 28, Williams made six solo tackles and sacked quarterback Matt Cassel. Nevertheless, the Bills lost to the New England Patriots (13-0). Once again, Williams started in all 16 matchups and completed with 55 combined tackles (37 solo) and two sacks to end 2008.
2009
On October 11, 2009, Williams made a season-best ten combined tackles (seven solo) and sacked quarterback Derek Anderson. The Bills lost to the Cleveland Browns (6-3). On October 25, Williams left in the first quarter after blowing out his knee on the first defensive possession. The Bills defeated the Carolina Panthers (20-9), but his injury kept him out for two weeks.
The Bills fired Jauron on November 18 and in stepped DC Perry Fewell as interim head coach. Williams played the rest of the season on fire. The AFC named him as an alternate in the 2010 Pro Bowl. He finished the season starting 14 games with 66 combined tackles (41 solo) and four sacks.
2010
Under new defensive coordinator George Edwards, the Bills changed their base defense to a 3-4. That meant Williams pivoted to the nose tackle position. After beating out Torell Troup in camp, Williams earned the start alongside Stroud and Dwan Edwards.
Williams recorded a season-best ten combined tackles (eight solo) and sacked Ben Roethlisberger twice against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 28. The Bills lost to Pittsburgh in overtime (19-16). He finished the season with a season-best 77 combined tackles (54 solo) and a pass deflection while playing all 16 games. Williams was designated the Top Defensive Player of 2010 by Pro Football Focus.
2013
On October 27, 2013, Williams made a season peak of nine combined tackles and 1.5 sacks in the Superdome. The Bills lost to the New Orleans Saints (35-17). The defensive tackle made the 2014 Pro Bowl after finishing the season with 68 career tackles (42 solo) and a career-best 10.5 sacks in 16 starts. Under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, the Buffalo Bills’ defense finished fourth against the pass but only finished 28th in run defense.
2014
On January 24, 2014, Pettine left to take the head coaching job for the Cleveland Browns. The next day, Doug Marrone made a swift hire by replacing him with former Lions’ head coach Jim Schwartz. Schwartz usually runs the 4-3 base with a multi-front defense. On September 7, Williams snagged his first interception as the Bills defeated the Chicago Bears in OT (23-20). On December 23, Williams made the 2015 Pro Bowl. He finished the season with 41 combined tackles (33 solo), 5.5 sacks, and an interception in 15 games and 15 starts. On December 31, Marrone opted out of his contract.
2015
On January 12, 2015, the Bills hired former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan. He wanted to keep Schwartz as DC, but Schwartz rejected him because of different defensive philosophies. The Bills signed Williams to a one-year, $10.50 million contract with a $4.50 million signing bonus on March 11.
On December 1, the team placed the defensive tackle on injured reserve, and he missed the rest of the season. The Bills finished (8-8) and missed the playoffs for the 16th straight year. In six games played, Williams finished the season with 14 combined tackles (six solo) and one sack.
Spotlight: Kyle Williams 2018
On March 13, 2018, the Buffalo Bills signed Williams to a one-year, $5.50 million contract that included a $4.50 million guarantee and a $2.25 million signing bonus. On December 28, Williams announced his retirement after 13 seasons, and he played in his final game on December 30 against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills defeated the Dolphins (42-17). Williams was designated to his 6th Pro Bowl and started in all 16 games. He had 35 total tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass deflected.
After announcing his retirement, Bills head coach Sean McDermott went on to explain the positive influence that Williams brought to the team by expressing, “He’s a guy that personifies what we want to be all about as Buffalo Bills. He really bleeds, not only red, but red, white and blue. We need more Kyle Williamses. They probably only come around once in a lifetime.”
Accolades
- Second-team All-SEC (2004)
- SEC Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Alabama – Nov 14, 2005)
- Second-team All-SEC by Coaches (2005)
- First-team All-SEC by Associated Press (2005)
- Second-team All-American by Associated Press – Walter Camp Foundation (2005)
- First-team All-American by Rivals.com (2005)
- 6x Pro Bowl (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018)
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