Brandon Williams (linebacker)
Introduction
Brandon Williams (born June 21, 1988) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at Texas Tech University.
Early years
Wiliams attended high school football at South Hills High School in Fort Worth. He received All-district honors as a senior, after registering 102 tackles and 11 sacks.
College career
He accepted a scholarship from Texas Tech University. He became a starter at defensive end as a sophomore, posting 6 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss (led the team). As a junior he registered 11 sacks (led the Big 12 Conference), 12.5 tackles for loss, 21 tackles, 3 passes defensed and one forced fumble.
At the end of the season he declared his intention to enter the 2009 NFL Draft. At the same press conference when he announced his plans to forgo his senior season, he accompanied Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who made a similar announcement. He finished his college career with 78 tackles (27.5 for loss), 20.5 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 6 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Professional career
Pre-draft measureables
| Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2½ in | 261 lb | 4.78 s | 1.56 s | 2.76 s | 4.38 s | 7.26 s | 33½ in | 9 ft 10 in | 18 reps | 19 | |||||||||
| 40 (and splits) and broad jump from Texas Tech Pro Day, all others from NFL Combine. | |||||||||||||||||||
Dallas Cowboys
Williams was selected in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, with the plan of converting him to an outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense. He tore his left ACL in the second preseason game while playing special teams and was placed on the injured reserve list.
In his second season he played tentatively coming back from injury and was declared inactive in 10 games. He finished with four special teams tackles. He was waived on September 3, 2011.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals signed him to their practice squad on November 22, 2011. He was promoted to the active roster on December 21. Williams was released with a shoulder injury on August 31, 2012.
Coaching career
In 2016, he was the Texas Stealth head coach of the American Indoor Football league. He is a football coach at Nolan Catholic High School.
Personal life
Williams parents are Debra and Gary Hampton, who have also two daughters, LaToya and Camry, and 2 other sons, Demondre and Gary Jr.