John L. Williams (born November 23, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Williams played college football for the Florida Gators. A first-round pick in the 1986 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
Early life
Williams was born in Palatka, Florida in 1964. He attended Palatka High School, where he was a standout high school football running back in the wishbone offense of the Palatka Panthers. Williams rushed for 3,449 yards and fifty-nine touchdowns, including 1,738 yards as a senior. Williams usually shared the backfield with tailback Neal Anderson, behind the blocking of the Gators' outstanding offensive line known as "The Great Wall of Florida." The Gators finished with identical 9–1–1 records in 1984 and 1985, and best-in-the-conference records of 5–0–1 and 5–1. In a 2006 article series written for The Gainesville Sun, the Sun sportswriters rated him as the No. 31 all-time Gator from among the 100 greatest players of the first century of Florida football.
Professional career
Williams was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round (fifteenth pick overall) of the 1986 NFL draft. He played for the Seahawks for eight seasons from to . He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1990 and 1991. Williams played his final two seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers in and ,