DeAngelo Williams
Teams
Carolina Panthers (2006-2014)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2015-2016)
Playoffs
Appearances - 5 (2008,2013,2014,2015,2016)
Conf Champ Games - 1 (2016)
Super Bowls - 0
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
All-Pro Second Team - 1 (2008)
Pro Bowl - 1 (2009)
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #24
Rushing Yards - #51
Rushing Touchdowns - #51
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#3-2008, #10-2015)
Rushing Touchdowns (#1-2008,2015)
Yards per Rush (#2-2008, #4-2011, #8-2007,2009)
Rushing Yards per Game (#3-2008, #7-2009)
Total Touchdowns (#1-2008, #10-2015)
Scrimmage Yards (#6-2008)
After gaining over 1900 rushing yards in both his junior and senior seasons at Memphis, DeAngelo Williams was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Williams was a backup to DeShaun Foster during his first two seasons in the league, starting just two games over that time, but he gained over 100 yards in each of those starts. When Foster was released after the 2007 season, Williams became the starter, and he responded with the best season of his career.
In 2008, Williams rushed for 1515 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns, with 20 total touchdowns also leading the league for the season. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, which was #2 in the league, and led Carolina to a playoff berth for the first time in 3 years. He ended up making the All-Pro Second Team after the season, despite somehow not being named to the Pro Bowl.
In 2009, Williams missed 3 games and parts of 2 others due to injuries, but still managed to rush for 1117 yards on 5.2 yards per carry. Teammate Jonathan Stewart also exceeded 1100 yards on the season, making them the first pair of teammates in over 40 years to achieve that mark.
Williams injured his foot early in the 2010 season, and he ended up with only 361 yards in 6 games. In 2011, when he was healthy again, he was still splitting backfield carries with Stewart, but also had to share with Cam Newton, the team's new quarterback, who was also a big runner. He finished the season with only 836 yards, but he gained 5.4 yards per carry, so it was still a very good season.
The next two seasons were more of the same for Williams, rushing effectively but sharing the work. His 2014 season was filled with injuries, first to his hamstring, then his ankle, and then a finger. He played in only 6 games before being released.
He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2015 season, where he would be backing up Le'Veon Bell, but he ended up starting 10 games due to a suspension and an injury to Bell, and he responded with 907 rushing yards and a league-leading 11 touchdowns, his highest since 2009 and 2008 respectively.
He started the first 3 games of the 2016 season in place of bell, who was suspended again, and was leading the league in rushing after 2 weeks, but gained only 100 yards through the rest of the season. After the season, the 33-year-old Williams retired from the NFL.
Williams was great in 2008, probably the best running back in the league that year, though he wasn't recognized at the time as much as he should have been. His 18 touchdowns that year are the 15th most of all time, and he led the league in touchdowns again 7 years later, a testament to his longevity, which is rare among running backs. Even when he wasn't piling up huge numbers, he was efficient, and he is still #24 on the all-time list for yards per carry, which helped him reach this spot on the list of the greatest runners of all time.
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