Leonard Williams

Originally a 1st round (6th pick overall) draft choice by the New York Jets in 2015…Traded to the Giants on Oct. 28, 2019. Williams has played in 95 career games with 87 starts for the Giants and Jets. His career totals include 323 tackles (164 solo), 29.0 sacks, 131 quarterback hits, 48 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 7 passes defensed and one interception.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a 1st round (6th pick overall) draft choice by the New York Jets in 2015…Traded to the Giants on Oct. 28, 2019.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Williams has played in 95 career games with 87 starts for the Giants and Jets…Career totals include 323 tackles (164 solo), 29.0 sacks, 131 quarterback hits, 48 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 7 passes defensed and one interception.
• In 2020, Williams had the most productive season of his career while playing in all 16 games with 12 starts…He was twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Week…Williams' team-leading 11.5 sacks were the most by a Giants' player since Jason Pierre-Paul's 14.5 in 2014 and were 7.5 more than any of his teammates, 4.5 more than his previous best total (in 2016) and 11.0 more than he had in 2019…He was 3rd in the NFL with 30 quarterback hits and tied for 6th with 14 tackles for loss…He was 5th on the Giants with 57 tackles (29 solo)…Also had 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed.
• Named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in the season's final 5 weeks, following victories at Seattle (12/6) and vs. Dallas (1/3)…He was the first Giants player to win 2 Player of the Week awards in the same season since punter Brad Wing in 2016, the first defensive player to achieve that double since safety Landon Collins that same season and the first defensive lineman to be cited twice since Pierre-Paul in 2011, the season in which the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI.
• Williams was first honored following the Giants' 17-12 defeat of the NFC West champion Seahawks…Tied his then career high with 2.5 sacks – all in the 2nd half – for 25.5 yards and was credited with 5 of the Giants' 10 pressures of Russell Wilson. In the 3rd quarter, Williams sacked Wilson for a 15-yard loss to help force a Seattle punt. Midway through the 4th quarter, Williams teamed with Jabaal Sheard for a 5-yard sack. And with the Seahawks trying to drive for the go-ahead touchdown, Williams sacked Wilson for a 10-yard loss on 3rd down with 48 seconds remaining, all but ending Seattle's chances to win the game.
• Against Dallas, Williams had a season-high 7 tackles (5 solo), a career-best 3.0 sacks for 20 yards, 5 quarterback hits and 2 critical pressures in the Giants' 23-19 victory. With 1:53 remaining, the Cowboys had a first-and-goal at the Giants' 7-yard line when Williams sacked Andy Dalton for a 10-yard loss. Two plays later, on third down from the 17, Williams pressured Dalton into throwing a pass that floated into the end zone, where rookie safety Xavier McKinney made a game-saving interception – the first pick of his career.
• Williams' 3.0 sacks vs. the Cowboys were the most by a Giants player in a game since Dec. 2, 2018, when defensive lineman B.J. Hill had 3.0 in a victory against Chicago.
• Tallied 6 tackles (3 solo) vs. Cleveland (12/20).
• Williams had an 8-yard sack and a game-clinching fumble recovery with 49 seconds remaining in a 19-17 victory at Cincinnati (11/29)…Recovered a fumble by Brandon Allen that was forced by Sheard, who sacked the quarterback for a 10-yard loss.
• Recorded 1.0 sack in 5 other games: at Washington (11/8), vs. Tampa Bay (11/2), vs. Washington (10/18), vs. San Francisco (9/27) and vs. Pittsburgh (9/14).
• In 2019, Williams started 7 games with the Jets and played in 8 games with 5 starts for the Giants…Registered 20 tackles (8 solo), 1 pass defensed and 5 quarterback hits for the Jets and 26 tackles (13 solo), a half-sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits for the Giants…Had 3 tackles (1 solo) in his Giants debut vs. Dallas (11/4)…Contributed a season-high 5 solo tackles at Philadelphia (12/9)…Tallied 3 solo stops and forced a Ryan Fitzpatrick fumble on the Dolphins' first possession of the 3rd quarter that was recovered by Sean Chandler…Collected 5 tackles (1 solo) and split a 10-yard sack of Carson Wentz with David Mayo vs. Philadelphia (12/29).
• In 2018, Williams started all 16 games…Finished with 42 tackles (27 solo), 5.0 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 20 quarterback hits and matched his career-high with 11 tackles for loss.
• Set a season-high with 6 total tackles (5 solo) and 2 tackles for loss vs. Miami (9/16)…Picked up his first sack of the season along with 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 tackles for loss and 1 quarterback hit at Jacksonville (9/30)…Recorded a season-high 2.0 sacks to go with 5 tackles (2 solo), 2 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits vs. Denver (10/07)…Finished with 1 sack, 2 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 2 quarterback hits vs. Green Bay (12/23)…Registered 1 sack, 6 tackles (5 solo), 2 tackles for loss and 1 quarterback hit at New England (12/30).
• In 2017, Williams started all 16 games…Registered 47 tackles (27 solo), 2.0 sacks, 1 pass defended, 25 quarterback hits, 3 tackles for loss and his only career interception.
• Recorded a season-high 7 tackles (3 solo) and 2 quarterback hits vs. Jacksonville (10/01)…Finished with 0.5 sacks, 5 tackles (3 solo) and 2 quarterback hits vs. Buffalo (11/02)…Had 1 sack, 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 tackle for loss and 4 quarterback hits at Tampa Bay (11/12)…Registered 0.5 sacks, 2 tackles and a season-high 4 quarterback hits vs. Kansas City (12/03)…Picked up 5 tackles (3 solo), 1 pass defended and his only career interception at New Orleans (12/17).
• In 2016, Williams started all 16 games…Set career-highs with 68 tackles (36 solo), 7.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles, along with 19 quarterback hits…Earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
• Had a career-high 2.5 sacks and 5 quarterback hits to go with 6 tackles (3 solo) and 2 tackles for loss vs. Cincinnati (9/11)…Picked up his first-career forced fumble along with 4 solo tackles at Buffalo (9/15)…Registered 1 sack, 2 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 quarterback hit vs. Seattle (10/2)…Recorded 1 sack, 4 tackles (1 solo), 1 quarterback hit and 1 forced fumble at Pittsburgh (10/9)…Finished with 1 sack, 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 tackle for loss and 2 quarterback hits vs. Baltimore (10/23)…Registered 0.5 sacks and a career-high 10 tackles (3 solo) along with 3 quarterback hits vs. Indianapolis (12/5).
• In his rookie season in 2015, Williams played in 16 games with 15 starts…Recorded 63 tackles (29 solo), 3.0 sacks, 21 quarterback hits and 7 tackles for loss.
• Had 5 tackles (1 solo) in his NFL debut vs. Cleveland (9/13)…Picked up his first-career 0.5 sack to go with 6 tackles (1 solo), 2 quarterback hits and his first-career tackle for loss vs. Philadelphia (9/27)…Finished with 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 tackle for loss and 3 quarterback hits at Miami (10/4)…Recorded a season-high 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss vs. Buffalo (11/12)…Had 6 tackles (3 solo), 1 tackle for loss and 3 quarterback hits at Houston (11/22)…Picked up 1 sack, 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 tackle for loss and 2 quarterback hits at New York (12/6)…Finished with 1 sack, 1 solo tackle, 1 tackle for loss and 1 quarterback hit vs. Tennessee (12/13).

COLLEGE:

• Started 35 of 39 career games at the University of Southern California, totaling 218 tackles (111 solo), 21.0 sacks, 36.5 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions and 7 passes defensed…As a senior in 2014, started all 13 games and finished with 80 tackles (48 solo), 7.0 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 3 passes defensed…Named first-team All-Pac-12 and first-team All-American…In his junior year, started all 13 games and recorded 74 tackles (32 solo), 6.0 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries…Named first-team All-Pac-12 and first-team All-American…As a freshman in 2012, played in 13 games with 9 starts and registered 64 tackles (31 solo), 8.0 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 4 passes defensed…Named Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Partnered with the New York City Police Foundation during the 2020 season to create positive relationships with youth throughout Manhattan through the Team of Teams initiative… Represented the New York City Police Foundation during the NFL's Week 13 My Cause My Cleats initiative…Made a contribution to Youth Consultation Services of New Jersey to provide children with a holiday party, gift and new pajamas.

PERSONAL:

• Born in Bakersfield, California…Attended Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida…Named All-State Class 6A first team by the Associated Press after his senior year at Mainland…Selected to 2012 Under Armour All-American Game…Was also a standout in the weight throw for Mainland's track team.