Sam Williams

Early life

Williams had a difficult childhood; he and his siblings were taken from their mother and raised by his grandparents and later by an aunt after the age of 7. He attended Marbury High School, a small school in Deatsville, Alabama. His sport of choice at Marbury was basketball, before being expelled the summer after his junior season for playing with a knife.

He transferred to Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama. He played his only full year of high school football as a starter at defensive line and was teammates with future pro football player Henry Ruggs III.

College career

Williams enrolled at Northeast Mississippi Community College. As a freshman in 2017, he appeared 9 games and collecting 53 tackles (11 for loss), 3.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.

As a sophomore in 2018, he appeared in 9 games, registering 75 tackles (28.5 for loss), 17.5 sacks (tied for the

most in the nation's junior colleges), 4 forced fumbles and 4 pass breakups. He received first-team NJCAA All-American and MACJC Defensive Lineman of the Year honors.

Williams transferred to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). As a junior in 2019, he started 8 of 12 games, totaling 37 tackles, 6 sacks (led the team), 9.5 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback pressures, one interception, one pass breakup and one forced fumble.

As a senior in 2020, he was suspended in late July and August after being arrested for felony sexual battery, although the chargers were dropped. He started six of 10 games, splitting time between linebacker and defensive end. He recorded 39 tackles, 4 sacks, 8 tackles for loss (led the team), 3 quarterback pressures and one forced fumble.

During his final season in 2021, granted due to his transfer, he broke the school's single-season sack record with 12.5, while compiling 13 starts, 57 tackles, 16 for loss (led the team), 8 quarterback pressures, 4 forced fumbles (ranked 10th in the nation), one fumble returned for a 33 yard touchdown and one pass breakup.