Jamal Williams (born April 28, 1976) is an American
football defensive tackle for the San Diego Chargers
in the NFL.
Jamal Williams, the 2nd of 7 boys, was raised in
Washington, D.C. by his mother, Harriet, a single
parent. He was named a Super Prep All-America at
Arch Bishop Carroll High School in Washington D.C.
He played at Oklahoma State University in 1995. In
1996, he transferred to Kemper Military School and
Junior College in Boonville, Missouri, where he was
a standout in the junior college ranks. In 1997,
Williams returned to Oklahoma State and was named a
First Team All-Big 12 conference selection. He
finished his career at OSU with 117 tackles and 9.5
sacks.
Williams was drafted in the second-round of the 1998
NFL Supplemental Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
The highlight of his rookie season occurred on
December 13, when he scored a touchdown on a 14-yard
interception return against the Seattle Seahawks. He
started two games in 1999 and all 16 in 2000. He
suffered a season ending injury in the third game of
the 2001 season, but worked his way back into the
starting line-up in 2002, earning the Ed Block
Courage Award for his efforts.
The Chargers switched to a 3-4 defensive scheme in
2004 and fielded Williams at nose tackle, arguably
the most important position in the 3-4 defense. That
year, Williams became widely recognized as a top 3-4
nose tackle in the NFL, being named as a
first-alternate to Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro by
SportsIllustrated.com, second-team All-Pro by
Associated Press and Football Digest. He also was
named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team, and was voted
Chargers Defensive Player of Year and Lineman of
Year.
The ninth-year pro had arguably his best game of his
career against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 8,
2006 when he accumulated 6 tackles and 1 sack,
especially considering that the 3-4 nose tackle is a
position often devoid of stats. Furthermore, his
performance came against perennial pro-Bowlers Jeff
Hartings and Alan Faneca.
After the 2006 season, he was named a starter in the
2007 Pro Bowl, and earned first-team All-Pro honors
from Associated Press, Sporting News, USA Today
Sports Weekly, Pro Football Weekly and the
Professional Football Writers of America. He also
gained first-team All-AFC honors from PFW and PFWA,
and was Chargers co-Lineman of Year.
Jamal Williams was again voted to the Pro Bowl
following the 2007 season. He also is the highest
rated Defensive Tackle in Madden 08 with an overall
rating of 98.
