University of Memphis Athletics
DeAngelo Williams To Be Honored Sunday
Oct 30, 2006 | Football
Oct. 30, 2006
Memphis, Tenn. - In a special pre-game ceremony on Sunday, former All-American tailback DeAngelo Williams will be honored by having his jersey retired. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. with the game to be broadcast by ESPN. The ceremony is slated to begin at approximately 6:40 p.m.
The first 10,000 fans to enter the stadium will receive a commemorative DeAngelo Williams print.
A consensus All-American, Williams closed out his career as the most decorated player in Memphis football history. He led the Tigers to their third straight bowl appearance for the first time in school history, winning the Motor City Bowl. At the end of the 2005 season, Williams was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season after leading the nation in rushing at 178.6 yards per game.
A native of Wynne, Ark., Williams ranked fourth in all-purpose yardage (188.6 ypg) and seventh in scoring (10.4 ppg) after rushing for 18 touchdowns. Williams ran for more than 200 yards in five games in 2005 and closed out his career with 6,026 rushing yards, the fourth-highest total in NCAA Division I history. He also became the NCAA's career leader in all-purpose yardage, finishing with 7,573, and holds the national record for most 100-yard games with 34.
Selected by the Carolina Panthers as the 27th overall pick of the NFL Draft, Williams became Memphis' first, first-round pick since Jerome Woods was selected as the 28th pick of the draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Williams holds all-time Tiger records in rushing yards (6,026), rushing attempts (969), rushing touchdowns (55) and all-purpose yards, as well as multiple season rushing records. As a senior, Williams was named an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press and Playboy. He was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and was also presented the inaugural ARA Sportsmanship Award.
A 2005 Heisman Trophy candidate, Williams rushed for more than 200 yards in nine career games, including a 238-yard effort in the Motor City Bowl. He was named the MVP of the Motor City Bowl after helping Memphis to a 38-31 victory over Akron. He later was also named the Offensive MVP of the 2006 Senior Bowl.
