Jamaal Malik Williams (born April 3, 1995) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

BYU Cougars The BYU Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Brigham Young University (BYU), located in Provo, Utah. BYU fields 21 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity athletic teams. They are a member of the Big 12 C ...

and was selected by the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

in the fourth round of the

2017 NFL draft The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...

Early life

Williams attended Summit High School in

Fontana, California Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Founded by Azariel Blanchard Miller in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area. It ...

where he played

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

for the Sky Hawks. A 3-star recruit, he committed to

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

(BYU) to play

over an offer from

Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It ...

College career

Williams played at BYU from 2012 to 2016. On August 30, 2012, Williams made his collegiate debut with 15 rushing yards in the win over

Washington State Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

. On September 15, against

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, he had his first collegiate rushing

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

. On September 28, against

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, he had 155 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On October 13, against

Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees through all 11 of the universit ...

, he added two more rushing touchdowns. On October 27, against

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

, he had 107 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and three receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. On November 10, against

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, he had 104 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Overall, he finished the 2012 season with 775 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 315 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. On August 31, 2013, in the season opener against

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, Williams had 144 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards. In the next game against

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, he had 182 rushing yards in the victory. On October 25, against

, he had 107 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards. On November 16, against the

Idaho State Bengals The Idaho State Bengals are the varsity intercollegiate athletic teams representing Idaho State University, located in Pocatello, Idaho. The university sponsors thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and tr ...

, he had 131 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. On November 30, against

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, he had 219 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Overall, in the 2013 season, he finished with 1,233 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 18 receptions, and 125 receiving yards. On September 6, 2014, against

, Williams had 89 rushing yards and twelve receiving yards in the victory. Five days later, against

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, he had 139 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On October 3, against Utah State, he had 102 rushing yards. He later suffered a knee injury and was sidelined for the remainder of the 2014 season. In his shortened season, he had 518 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, eight receptions, and 47 receiving yards. Williams did not play in 2015 after withdrawing from the school, and

redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...

. Williams started his final collegiate season in 2016 with 163 rushing yards against

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

. On September 24, against West Virginia, he had 169 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On September 30, he rushed for a school-record 286 yards and five touchdowns on 29 carries during a 55–53 win over

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

. In the next game, against Michigan State, he had 163 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In his final college game, he was named the MVP of the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl after rushing for 210 yards and a touchdown against

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

. That red-shirt senior season, he had 1,375 yards on 234 carries for 12 touchdowns. During his career, he rushed for a school-record 3,901 yards on 726 carries with 35

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

College statistics

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Williams was drafted by the

in the fourth round with the 134th overall pick in the

. He was the 13th

selected in that year's draft. He was signed to his rookie contract on June 1, 2017. On September 10, 2017, in his NFL debut, Williams had two rushes for nine yards in a 17–9 victory over the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

. In Week 9, against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

, he scored his first career rushing touchdown. On December 3, against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

, he had 113 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Overall, he finished his rookie season with 556 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 25 receptions, 262 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns. In the 2018 season, Williams recorded 464 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and 27 receptions for 210 receiving yards. During a Week 4 loss to the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

on September 26, 2019, Williams suffered a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

during an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit by Eagles

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

Derek Barnett Derek Anthony Barnett (born June 25, 1996) is an American professional football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, and was selected by the Philade ...

. Williams lay motionless on the turf for several minutes before medical staff wheeled him off the field on a

gurney A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often ...

; he was immediately transported to a local hospital for evaluation, but was released from the hospital the next day. In the following week's game against the Lions, Williams rushed 14 times for 104 yards and caught four passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the 23–22 win. In Week 8 against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

, Williams rushed seven times for 22 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the 31–24 win. Overall, he recorded 460 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with 39 receptions for 253 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. Williams was placed on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

list by the team on November 3, 2020, and activated six days later. Williams finished the 2020 season with 119 carries for 505 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns to go along with 31 receptions for 236 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

Detroit Lions

Jamaal Williams Commanders-Lions SEP2022

On March 19, 2021, Williams signed a two-year contract with the Lions. In the Lions' 2021 regular season opener, he had 110 scrimmage yards in the 41–33 loss to the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

. On November 25, 2021, Williams carried the ball for the 585th time in his career, breaking the NFL record previously held by

Phillip Lindsay Phillip Lindsay (born July 24, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was born in Denver, Colorado, grew up in Aurora, Colorado, and attended South High School ...

for the most carries without ever fumbling. Williams finished the 2021 season with 153 carries for 601 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with 26 receptions for 157 receiving yards. In the Lions' first four games to start the 2022 season, Williams recorded two rushing touchdowns in three of the games. In Week 11, against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

, he had three rushing touchdowns in the 31–18 victory. In Week 17, against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

, he had 22 carries for 144 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 41–10 victory. With two rushing touchdowns in the final game of the regular season against the

in Week 18, Williams set the Lions' single-season touchdown record with 17, surpassing the previous record of 16 set by

Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushin ...

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

. He finished the year with career-highs in yards (1,066), touchdowns (17) and carries (262) while playing in all 17 games for the Lions.

New Orleans Saints

On March 17, 2023, Williams signed a three-year contract with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

. He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 and was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

on September 23, 2023. He was activated on October 19. Williams failed to record a rushing touchdown during the 2023 season until the Saints' final offensive play against the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

in Week 18. While Saints head coach Dennis Allen called for a

quarterback kneel In American football and Canadian football, a quarterback kneel, also called taking a knee, genuflect offense, kneel-down offense, or victory formation, occurs when the quarterback touches a knee to the ground immediately after receiving the sn ...

to exhaust the final minute of the game, quarterback

Jameis Winston Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January6, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, becoming the youngest pl ...

instead handed the ball to Williams who scored a one-yard touchdown. In the 2024 season, Williams had 48 carries for 164 yards and one touchdown. On March 4, 2025, the Saints released Williams after two seasons.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Awards and records

NFL awards

* 2x

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Ground Player of the Week – Week 11, 2022 Week 17, 2022

Lions franchise records

* Most rushing touchdowns in a single season: 17 * Most rushing touchdowns in the first 10 games of the regular season: 12 (November 20, 2022)

Personal life

Williams has a daughter. He is a self-described "nerd" for anime, video games, and

cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...

. He particularly prefers ''

One Punch Man is a Japanese Superhero comics, superhero manga series created by One (manga artist), One. It tells the story of Saitama (One-Punch Man), Saitama, an independent superhero who, having trained to the point that he can defeat any opponent ...

'', ''

Dragon Ball Z ''Dragon Ball Z'' (''DBZ'') is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 ''Dragon Ball'' television series and adapts the latter 325 chapters ...

'', and ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

''. After a game on January 1, 2023, Williams wore a ''Naruto'' headband and shirt while giving interviews to reporters, and said that he wanted to go home to play '' Pokémon Scarlet''. During the ''Sunday Night Football'' game against the Packers on January 8, 2023, Williams wore a different ''Naruto'' headband and introduced himself as "First Swagg Kazekage, leader of the hidden village of the den", a reference to the anime, drawing immediate reactions on social media.

References

External links

BYU Cougars bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Jamaal 1995 births Living people American football running backs BYU Cougars football players Detroit Lions players Green Bay Packers players New Orleans Saints players Sportspeople from Rialto, California