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Kyren Williams

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Kyren Williams
refer to caption
Williams with Notre Dame in 2021
No. 23 – Los Angeles Rams
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (2000-08-26) August 26, 2000 (age 24)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Height:5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight:202 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:St. John Vianney
(Kirkwood, Missouri)
College:Notre Dame (2019–2021)
NFL draft:2022 / round: 5 / pick: 164
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2024
Rushing yards:2,209
Rushing average:4.6
Rushing touchdowns:22
Receptions:67
Receiving yards:427
Receiving touchdowns:5
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kyren Williams (born August 26, 2000) is an American professional football running back for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early life

[edit]

Williams grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended St. John Vianney High School.[1] Williams rushed for 922 yards and 22 touchdowns and also had 51 receptions for 774 yards and 12 touchdowns in his junior season.[2] As a senior, Williams rushed for 2,035 yards and 26 touchdowns caught 55 passes for 725 yards and was named the St. Louis Metro Area Offensive Player of the Year. He also recorded 92 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks and eight interceptions on defense.[3] Williams was rated a three-star recruit and committed to play college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford and Wisconsin.[4][5]He is a cousin of Lions receiver Jameson Williams.

College career

[edit]

Williams joined the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as an early enrollee.[6][7] As a true freshman in 2019, he played in the first four games of the season before sitting the rest of the year in order to preserve an extra year of eligibility, rushing for 26 yards on four carries and catching one pass for three yards.[8]

Williams was named Notre Dame's starting running back going into his sophomore year in 2020.[9][10] He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Running Back of the Week for the first week of the season after rushing 19 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns while also catching two passes for 93 yards.[11] Williams finished the season with 1,125 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 211 carries while also catching 35 passes for 313 yards and one touchdown and was named second-team All-ACC, the ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the overall ACC Rookie of the Year.[12]

Going into his junior season, Williams remained Notre Dame's starting running back. His biggest games came in the middle of the season when he had 25 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns and six receptions for 42 yards in a 31-16 victory over USC, followed by 21 carries for 199 yards and a TD in a 44-34 win against North Carolina. Williams finished the season with 204 carries for 1,002 yards and 14 TDs with 42 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns. On December 10, 2021, Williams declared for the 2022 NFL draft and opted out of playing in the Fiesta Bowl.[13]

College statistics

[edit]
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Season Games Rushing Receiving
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2019 4 0 4 26 6.5 14 0 1 3 3.0 3 0
2020 12 12 211 1,125 5.3 65 13 35 313 8.9 75 1
2021 12 12 204 1,002 4.9 91 14 42 359 8.5 55 3
Career 28 24 419 2,153 5.1 91 27 78 675 8.7 75 4

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
5 ft 9+1⁄4 in
(1.76 m) 		194 lb
(88 kg) 		28+5⁄8 in
(0.73 m) 		9 in
(0.23 m)		 4.65 s 1.57 s 2.69 s 4.33 s 7.07 s 32.0 in
(0.81 m)		 9 ft 8 in
(2.95 m)
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[14][15]

Williams was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (164th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[16] On June 7, 2022, it was announced that Williams had suffered a broken foot in practice and had undergone surgery.[17]

2022 season

[edit]
See also: 2022 Los Angeles Rams season

After not playing in the preseason, on September 8, 2022, Williams suffered a high ankle sprain on the first kick return in the Rams' season-opening 31–10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.[18] He was placed on injured reserve on September 13, 2022.[19] He was designated to return from injured reserve on October 26, 2022.[20] He was activated from injured reserve on November 12, 2022.[21] As a rookie, Williams appeared in ten games and received significant offensive snaps in eight of them. For the season, he recorded 35 carries for 139 yards and nine receptions for 76 yards but did not score a touchdown.[22]

2023 season

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See also: 2023 Los Angeles Rams season

In the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Williams carried 15 times for 52 yards and scored his first two career touchdowns in a 30–13 win on the road.[23] The following week at home against San Francisco, he supplanted Cam Akers as the Rams' starting running back and had 14 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown while also catching six passes for 48 yards and another touchdown in the Rams' 30–23 defeat. He became the first player in franchise history to score multiple touchdowns in each of his first two games of a season.[24] On the road at Indianapolis in Week 4, Williams recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game, totaling 103 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns in the Rams' 29–23 overtime victory against the Colts.[25] During Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals, Williams finished with a season-high 158 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries as the Rams won 26–9 but sprained his left ankle in the process.[26] He was placed on injured reserve on October 21, 2023.[27] He was activated from injured reserve on November 25, 2023, after missing four games.[28] Returning to the starting lineup in Week 12 at Arizona, Williams finished with 143 rushing yards on 16 carries, 61 receiving yards on six catches with a pair of touchdown receptions as the Rams won 37–14. This performance earned Williams NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors,[29] and was the start of an impressive six-game stretch in which he averaged 5.3 yards per carry and 114.7 yards per game. Williams ran 21 times for 88 yards and a touchdown in a 36–19 win over the Cleveland Browns, then had 114 yards on 25 carries in a 37–31 overtime loss at the Baltimore Ravens.[30][31] Against the Washington Commanders, Williams had 27 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown run in the Rams' 28–20 victory.[32] Four days later, Williams turned in his third straight 100-yard rushing game, totaling 104 yards (including a 10-yard TD) on 22 carries as the Rams defeated the visiting New Orleans Saints 30–22.[33] In the game, Williams became the first Rams running back to surpass 1,000 yards rushing since Todd Gurley in 2018.[34] In Week 17 at the New York Giants, Williams had 87 yards on 20 carries but scored a career-high three touchdowns in the Rams' playoff-clinching 26–25 victory.[35] The following week, Williams was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.[36] He was named as a second team All-Pro.[37] Williams was held out of the Rams' 21–20 victory over San Francisco in the final week of the regular season.[38] He finished the 2023 season with 228 carries for 1,144 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 32 receptions for 206 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 12 appearances and 11 starts.[39] Williams ran for 61 yards on 13 carries in the Rams' 24-23 loss to Detroit in an NFC Wild Card Game. He was ranked 78th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.[40]

2024 season

[edit]
See also: 2024 Los Angeles Rams season

Beginning the season as the starting running back, Williams scored one touchdown in each of the Rams' first two games, both losses on the road. Playing at home against San Francisco in Week 3, Williams scored all three of his team's touchdowns in a 27-24 victory. He ran 24 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns while also catching two passes for 27 yards and a touchdown which came on a 15-yard reception where Williams somersaulted over 49er strong safety Talanoa Hufanga at the goal line in the second quarter for L.A.'s first points. In a 24-19 loss to Green Bay, Williams had 22 carries for 102 yards and a TD as the Rams fell to a 1-4 record. Following a bye week, Williams ran 21 times for 76 yards and two scores in the Rams' 20-15 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Four days later, Williams had 23 carries for 97 yards while also catching five passes for 19 yards including a 5-yard TD, which gave Williams a touchdown in 10 straight regular season games. At New Orleans in Week 13, Williams ran for 104 yards on only 15 carries with a touchdown in the Rams' 21-14 victory. A week later, Williams scored two touchdowns as L.A. outlasted the Buffalo Bills 44-42, and his 29 carries for 87 yards put him over 1,000 yards rushing for the season. Williams followed up that performance by running for a season-high 108 yards (again on 29 carries) as L.A. gutted out a 12-6 victory over San Francisco.

NFL career statistics

[edit]
Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Y/G Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2022 LAR 10 0 35 139 4.0 13.9 17 0 9 76 8.4 15 0 0 0
2023 LAR 12 11 228 1,144 5.0 95.3 56 12 32 206 6.4 24 3 3 2
2024 LAR 14 14 280 1,121 4.0 80.1 30 12 30 159 5.3 26 2 5 3
Career 36 25 543 2,404 4.4 66.8 56 24 71 441 6.2 26 5 8 5

Postseason

[edit]
Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Y/G Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2023 LAR 1 1 13 61 4.7 61.0 15 0 1 9 9.0 9 0 0 0
Career 1 1 13 61 4.7 61.0 15 0 1 9 9.0 9 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ Driskell, Bryan (August 17, 2020). "Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams Is Making His Presence Felt". SI.com. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  2. ^ Sampson, Pete (July 18, 2018). "Service-minded and spiritual, Kyren Williams is committed to Notre Dame in more ways than one". The Athletic. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  3. ^ Kvidahl, David (December 24, 2018). "Offensive player of the year: Vianney's Williams will not be denied". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  4. ^ Kvidahl, David (June 21, 2018). "Vianney's Williams commits to Notre Dame". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Pope, LaMond (June 21, 2018). "Notre Dame adds RB Kyren Williams to 2019 class". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  6. ^ Farmer, Douglas (June 29, 2019). "Notre Dame 99-to-2: No. 23 Kyren Williams, early-enrolled freshman running back". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  7. ^ O'Malley, Tim (September 13, 2019). "Brian Kelly on Freshman Kyren Williams: 'He Just Needs To Play'". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  8. ^ "Kyren Williams 2019 Player Statisitics - Notre Dame". cfbstats. 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Hansen, Eric (September 1, 2020). "How Kyren Williams became Notre Dame football's top running back". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  10. ^ Sampson, Pete (October 15, 2020). "How Kyren Williams transformed himself into Notre Dame's answer at running back". The Athletic. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  11. ^ Driskell, Bryan (September 14, 2020). "Notre Dame's Kyren Williams Named ACC Running Back of the Week". SI.com. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  12. ^ Fredrickson, Ben (January 9, 2021). "Breakout season at Notre Dame puts St. Louis local Williams in mix for 2021 Heisman". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  13. ^ Easterling, Luke (December 10, 2021). "Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams declares for 2022 NFL draft". Draft Wire. USA Today. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  14. ^ "Kyren Williams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "Kyren Williams, Notre Dame, RB, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Jackson, Stu (April 30, 2022). "Rams select RB Kyren Williams with 164th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft". TheRams.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Koons, Zach (June 7, 2022). "Sean McVay Announces Rams Rookie Kyren Williams Suffered Broken Foot". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Jackson, Stu (September 9, 2022). "McVay: Kyren Williams suffered high ankle sprain which will require surgery and sideline him for 6–8 weeks, plus updates on Brian Allen, Joe Noteboom and Matthew Orzech". TheRams.com. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  19. ^ DaSilva, Cameron (September 13, 2022). "Rams sign long snapper to practice squad, make 2 other roster moves". Rams Wire. USA Today. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  20. ^ @RamsNFL (October 26, 2022). "LA Rams Transactions: • Returned to Practice DB Quentin Lake • Designated for Return/Returned to Practice RB Kyren Williams" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ @RamsNFL (November 12, 2022). "LA Rams Transactions: • Waived, No Recall RB Malcolm Brown • Activated, from Reserve DB Quentin Lake, G Coleman Shelton, RB Kyren Williams • Activated, from Practice Squad TE Jared Pinkney" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "Kyren Williams 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  23. ^ Klein, Gary; Knoblauch, Austin (September 10, 2023). "Rams dominate on defense and young stars shine in win over Seahawks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  24. ^ DaSilva, Cameron (September 18, 2023). "Kyren Williams made Rams history with 2nd straight 2-TD game". Rams Wire. USA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  25. ^ "Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts - October 1st, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  26. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams - October 15th, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  27. ^ Barshop, Sarah (October 21, 2023). "Rams place RB Kyren Williams on IR with ankle injury". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  28. ^ "Rams activate Kyren Williams off of injured reserve". Yahoo! Sports. November 25, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023 – via ProFootballTalk.
  29. ^ Gordon, Grant (November 29, 2023). "Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Rams RB Kyren Williams highlight Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  30. ^ "Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams - December 3rd, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  31. ^ "Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens - December 10th, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  32. ^ "Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams - December 17th, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  33. ^ "New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams - December 21st, 2023". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  34. ^ "Los Angeles Rams Single-Season Rushing Leaders". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  35. ^ "Kyren Williams runs for 3 TDs as Rams beat Giants". CBS News - New York. Associated Press. December 31, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  36. ^ Arthur, Kenneth (January 3, 2024). "Rams have 4 players named to Pro Bowl". Turf Show Times. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  37. ^ DaSilva, Cameron (January 12, 2024). "Rams' Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua voted 2nd-team All-Pros". Rams Wire. USA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  38. ^ "Rams' Kyren Williams: Sitting out in Week 18". CBSSports.com. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  39. ^ "Kyren Williams 2023 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  40. ^ "2024 NFL Top 100". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
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