Alphonso "Al" Williams (born October 5, 1961) is a former American football wide receiver who played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

for the Nevada Wolf Pack, then played at a professional level in the USFL,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

, and CFL.

Professional career

Williams was selected by the New Jersey Generals in the 18th round (364th overall) of the 1984 USFL Draft and the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

in the 1st round (20th overall) of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft. He ended up playing for the Oklahoma/Arizona Outlaws, while the Detroit Lions kept him on the practice squad. After the USFL folded and the Detroit Lions released him in 1986, Williams became a free agent. In 1987, Williams was picked up by the

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

and New Orleans Saints during preseason, then played in three games for the San Diego Chargers during the NFLPA strike. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a conditional draft pick, then last played in the CFL for the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Tim Hortons Fiel ...

Personal life

Williams had settled in Arizona. He revealed in a podcast with former teammate

Billy Ray Smith Jr. Billy Ray Smith Jr. (born August 10, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University o ...

that he was coaching and been involved with multiple charities for the local youth.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Al 1961 births Living people American football wide receivers Canadian football wide receivers Long Beach Polytechnic High School alumni San Diego Chargers players Oklahoma Outlaws players Arizona Outlaws players Hamilton Tiger-Cats players Nevada Wolf Pack football players