Stepfret Williams
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | June 14, 1973 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Minden, Louisiana | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 170 lb (77 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Minden (LA) | ||||||||
| College: | Louisiana at Monroe | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1996 / Round: 3 / Pick: 94 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Stepfret Williams III (born June 14, 1973) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for three seasons for the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was also the leading receiver in yards in the XFL.
Early years
Williams as a senior at Minden High School, received all-state honors playing defensive back, he was also an all-district selection at wide receiver, after registering 15 receptions for 350 yards.
He accepted a scholarship to the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he concentrated on playing wide receiver. As a sophomore he became a starter and recorded 40 receptions for 929 yards (18th in the nation) and 10 touchdowns, receiving the first of three straight All-Southland Conference selections.
As a junior the league moved from Division I-AA to Division I. In a higher level of competition, he produced 57 receptions for 1,106 yards (sixth in the nation) and 10 touchdowns. In his final year, he had 66 receptions (14th in the nation) for 1,056 yards (12th in the nation) and 12 touchdowns. He also played in the Senior Bowl.
Williams is considered to be one of the greatest wide receivers in school history, after setting 15 records, including career marks with 3,177 receiving yards, 33 touchdowns, 16 one hundred yard receiving games, 11 receptions over 50 yards, the first UL Monroe player to gain over 1,000 yards twice in a career, the top two single-season yardage totals, two of the top four single-season reception totals and the top three single-season touchdown totals.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Williams was selected in the third round (94th overall) of the 1996 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. As a rookie he was on the inactive list for six weeks and two playoff games, registering only one reception for 36 yards. The next year he earned the team's third down wide receiver role and registered 30 receptions (15 for first downs) for 308 yards and one touchdown.[1]
In his third season, the Cowboys changed head coaches, and after the team was forced to resign Sherman Williams because of an injury to backup running back Chris Warren, the team released Williams because of performance issues and to remain under the salary cap.[2]
Cincinnati Bengals
On Sept. 2, 1998, Williams was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.[3] He played in five games, registering six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. He was released before the start of the 1999 season.
San Diego Chargers
In 2000, he signed as a free agent with the San Diego Chargers, but was released before the season started.[4]
Birmingham Thunderbolts (XFL)
He was selected in the sixth round of the 2001 XFL Draft by the Birmingham Thunderbolts. The XFL folded at the end of its debut season, after Williams registered 51 receptions for 828 yards (league leader) and 2 touchdowns.
Personal life
Williams was also known for being virtually unguardable in the NFL Prime Time '98 video game, as a Cowboys receiver in the five-wide formation.
References
- ↑ http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1997/Big-Step-fret-for-Cowboys-Receiver/id-55461581018f03ed18e37393b77685b9
- ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19980902&id=mXxaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WksDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5978,251919&hl=en
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/03/sports/transactions-672270.html
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/02/sports/transactions-653268.html