Samuel Degarrick Williams was born on March 31, 1999, he is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northeast Mississippi Community College before transferring to Ole Miss.
Williams attended Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Williams played at Northeast Mississippi Community College before transferring to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).
During his first year at Ole Miss in 2019, he played in 12 games and had 38 tackles, six sacks, and one interception. In 2020, he started six of 10 games, recording 39 tackles and four sacks. Williams returned to Ole Miss in 2021 and broke the team’s single season-sack record.
Williams was considered an elite junior college prospect after earning first-team JUCO All-American honors at Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2018 (28.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks). His pass rush skills translated to the SEC in 2019, as the Montgomery, Alabama, native led the Rebels with six sacks among his 37 total tackles (9.5 for loss). He also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in 12 appearances (eight starts).
Williams was suspended from the team in July 2020 after he was charged with sexual battery. He was reinstated to the team in September of that year after the charge was dropped. He started six of 10 games played in 2020, posting 39 tackles, eight for loss with a team-high four sacks on the year. Williams garnered 2021 third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-SEC honors by ranking fifth in the FBS with a school-record 12.5 sacks (among 57 total tackles, 16 for loss) and tying for 10th in the country with four forced fumbles in 13 starts.
Williams was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 56th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.