Some guys travel an easy road to NFL notoriety. Others have to endure constant pain. This is just the way things are. The Chicago Bears defensive line has seen so many of these types of stories play out already. It seems almost routine to have another. In 2016, it was Akiem Hicks. In 2017, it was Roy Robertson-Harris and in 2018 it was Bilal Nichols. Men who came from humble origins to become quality contributors on one of the best defensive fronts in the league.
Nick Williams though? He might be the best story. His football journey began late by usual standards. His focus through most of high school was on basketball. Then during his senior year, he switched to football. This resulted in him being lightly recruited by colleges. He ended up attending Samford University. There he sat on the bench through the first two years. Not until his junior season did he finally see the field.
Despite modest stats (23 tackles and three tackles for a loss), he remained a starter going into 2012. There he broke out with eight tackles for a loss and six sacks. This was enough to get him drafted in the 7th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013. A tremendous accomplishment in the context of where he started. Still, he faced an uphill climb to make the roster since the Steelers already had a strong nucleus of veterans up front.
Getting injured didn't help.
He was eventually waived and signed to their practice squad. This would set a pattern for the next few years. Williams landed there again in 2014 but was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in late November. He impressed them enough in practice to earn a roster spot for the 2015 season. In limited action, he collected nine tackles and three quarterback hits. Sadly it wasn't enough to save him long-term. By October of 2016, he was released.
Chicago Bears defensive line benefitted from him immediately
Williams was signed the day after he was released by the Miami Dolphins. He suited up for five games and made two tackles before being deactivated the rest of the year. By September of 2017, he was out of a job again and spent the rest of that year a free agent. Some players may have decided to call it quits. Williams had been on three teams already and hadn't been able to get an opportunity to play. Maybe it was time to seek opportunities in other fields.
Nope. The defensive tackle kept working hard. He accepted an invitation to the Bears' minicamp practices in April of 2018. There he impressed enough to be one of the two players they ended up signing to contracts for training camp. He followed this up with a strong performance in the preseason. Thanks to this perseverance, he earned a roster spot as a primary reserve. He only appeared in two games, but he remained on the roster for the entire season.
Then things kind of opened up for him early in 2019.
After being re-signed in March this year, Williams again successfully earned a spot on the roster. This time around though, more would be asked of him. Nichols suffered a broken hand that knocked him out for some time and Hicks was dealing with a nagging knee issue. This thrust Williams into more substantial playing time. Having waited years for this opportunity, he didn't waste it, producing two sacks in the past two games. Not counting the three additional quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss.
Williams is an inspirational story of what can happen when a player doesn't give up on his dream, keeps working hard, and finally gets a chance.
