Leonard Austin Williams is a defensive tackle with the National Football League’s New York Giants who was born on June 20, 1994.
With the sixth overall choice in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected him. At USC, he played collegiate football.
Williams was a two-sport athlete in football and track at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.
He contributed to Mainland’s advancement to the FHSAA 6A state semifinals, when they were defeated by Miami Central 7-17, with 103 tackles and 10.5 sacks as a senior.
The defeat was reversed, though, in August 2012 when Miami Central’s entire season was forfeited for a transfer infraction.
Williams was rated as the fifth-best strongside defensive end recruit in his class by Rivals.com, who gave him a four-star rating.
Williams started nine of the team’s 13 games at defensive lineman as a true freshman in 2012, compiling 64 tackles, eight sacks, and an interception.
The Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year award was given to him. Williams was switched from tackle to defensive end in 2013 as a sophomore.
Williams was selected for the first team All-Pac-12 and was an All-American by ESPN after compiling 74 tackles and six sacks. In 2014, he made 80 tackles and seven sacks as a junior.
By the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and ESPN, he was recognized as the team’s MVP, first-team All-Pac-12, and an All-American.
Williams said that he would forgo his senior year and join the 2015 NFL Draft after his junior season.
How Good Is Leonard Williams?
Williams earned a run defense grade of 78.2 on average from 2015–19. He is one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL at stopping the run, thus it is clear that he is an experienced run defender.
What Happened To Leonard Williams?
On September 18, during the third quarter of the Giants’ 19-16 victory over Carolina, Williams suffered a knee injury.
When tackle Taylor Moton was slammed into him by linebacker Jihad Ward, he was pursuing quarterback Baker Mayfield while being blocked by Panthers guard Austin Corbett.
Williams’ knee twisted awkwardly, and he lay motionless on the ground for a while before rising to his feet.
Later, it was discovered that he had a sprained medial collateral ligament.