Ben Williams

Lewis Ben Williams (born May 28, 1970) is an American former professional football player. Born in Belzoni, Mississippi, Williams played as a defensive lineman at the University of Minnesota. He led the team in sacks for the 1990 and 1991 seasons, and was named as honorable mention to the Associated Press's 1990 All-Big Ten Conference football team and a second-teamer on the 1991 All-Big Ten Conference football team; he held the all-time sack record for the Golden Gophers upon graduation.

After college, Williams played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Shreveport Pirates, where he was named an East Division All-Star in 1994. Over two seasons in 1994 and 1995, he recorded 15 sacks and 107 tackles. In the 1997 World League draft, he was selected second overall with the first pick of by the London Monarchs. He played for the Monarchs in 1997 and 1998, recording 73 tackles and nine sacks. Williams made his NFL debut for the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, playing in one game; he spent most of the season as a backup to John Randle, Tony Williams, Stalin Colinet, and Fernando Smith. The following year, he played in three games for the Philadelphia Eagles before returning to the CFL, playing six games for the Edmonton Eskimos in 2000. Since his retirement, Williams has become the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) in Minnesota as well as an active advocate for organ donation.

Early life and college Williams played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in college and retired as their career sacks leader. Ben Williams was born on May 28, 1970 in Belzoni, Mississippi, He played football at Humphreys County High School, where he was named player of the year. In his junior 1990 season, Williams led the team with six sacks and seven tackles for loss. He was an honorable mention to the Associated Press's 1990 All-Big Ten Conference football team. In his senior 1991 season, he was named as a second-teamer on the 1991 All-Big Ten Conference football team; he recorded 97 tackles and again led the team with six sacks. Williams finished his career at Minnesota with 183 total tackles and 13 sacks,

Professional career After the end of his collegiate career, Williams spent two years out of football. He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) ahead of the 1993 season, but never made it off the practice squad due to a broken leg. and was nominated for the CFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. the franchise folded following the season.

Following his time in the CFL, Williams was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996 and the Arizona Cardinals in 1997. However, he was waived from both teams. Williams spent two years with the team in the league, a minor league intended to develop players. Over his two years with the Monarchs, Williams recorded 73 tackles and 9 sacks. He played in one game in the season, recording two quarterback pressures. He played in six games for the Eskimos, recording seven tackles and two sacks.

Personal life Ben Williams being presented the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Williams is an advocate for kidney disease patients and for organ donation; in 2019, he underwent a kidney transplant after being on a waiting list for six years. Williams is the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) - Minnesota Chapter.

Williams was made an NFL game day compliance and regulations official for the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2022 season; the job of the official is to identify and document violations of NFL uniform and equipment standards, as well as to enforce corrective actions.

Career statistics CFL Year Team Tackles Sacks 1994 Shreveport Pirates 16 46 2 7 0 1 1995 Shreveport Pirates 18 61 6 8 0 2 2000 Edmonton Eskimos 6 7 0 2 0 0 Career 34 114 8 17 0 3

NFL Europe Year Team Tackles Sacks 1997 London Monarchs 42 3.5 0 0 1998 England Monarchs 31 5.5 1 0 Career 73 9 1 0

NFL Year Team Tackles Sacks 1998 Minnesota Vikings 1 0 0 0 1999 Philadelphia Eagles 3 2 0 1 Career 4 2 0 1