Bennett Williams
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Bennett Williams (born February 26, 1999) is an American professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
safety for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He 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 ...
at Illinois, San Mateo, and Oregon.


Early life

Williams was born on February 26, 1999, in Campbell, California. Williams attended St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California where he played as a wide receiver and cornerback. On offense brought in 40 receptions, for 824 yards, and eight touchdowns. On defense he made 166 tackles, with seven going for a loss, 46 pass defelections, 17 interceptions, and three forced fumbles. On January 31, 2017, Williams would decide to commit to Illinois to play
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 ...
over other school such as Air Force,
Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...
,
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, Hawaii, San Jose State, Yale, and UNLV.


College career


Illinois

In Williams first season with Illinois he put up 64 tackles, 1.5 going for a loss, three interceptions, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble. For his stellar freshman performance he was named to the Freshman All-American team. To begain Williams sophomore year he was suspended for the first three games of the season. After one year with Illinois, he was dismissed from the team after a violation of team rules.


San Mateo

After being dismissed from Illinois, Williams would transfer to the College of San Mateo to continue playing football. In his time with San Mateo, Williams was named a Junior College All American, while also being named first-team All-Bay and earning all-conference honors. Williams would also help lead San Mateo to its first state title.


Oregon

After one year at San Mateo, Williams transferred to Oregon in 2020. In his first season with Oregon he played in six games, making 15 tackles, including two tackles for a loss, a sack, and two pass deflections. On September 25, 2021, Williams had his breakout game notching two interceptions, including returning one for a 68-yard touchdown, to help the #3 Ducks, beat Arizona 41–19. For his performance in his breakout game he was named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week. However just over a week later, Williams would suffer a broken fibula which would cause him to miss the rest of the regular season. Williams would however be cleared to play in the team's bowl game. Williams would finish his shortend year 20 tackles, with one going for a loss, three interceptions, and an touchdown, in five games. On November 21, 2022, Williams had one of the best games of his career after racking up 14 tackles, and two interceptions, to help the Ducks upset #10 Utah and help the Ducks keep their chance of reaching the College Football Playoff alive. Williams would finish the season playing in 13 games, while making 72 tackles, with 1.5 being for a loss, a sack, two interceptions, six pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.


Professional career


Miami Dolphins

After going unselected in the
2023 NFL draft The 2023 NFL Draft will be the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players. The draft is scheduled to be held in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 27–29, ...
, Williams signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on August 2, 2023.


Ottawa Redblacks

Williams signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on March 11, 2024.


References


External links


Illinois Fighting Illini bio

Oregon Ducks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Bennett Living people 1999 births Players of American football from Santa Clara County, California Sportspeople from Campbell, California American football safeties Saint Francis High School (Mountain View, California) alumni Oregon Ducks football players Illinois Fighting Illini football players Miami Dolphins players San Mateo Bulldogs football players Ottawa Redblacks players Canadian football defensive backs Players of Canadian football from California