Kevin Williams (defensive Tackle) life and biography

Kevin Williams is a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL.

• Has keyed Vikings rushing defense that ranked #1, #1, #1 and #2 in the NFL from 2006-09.
• Has earned 5 Pro Bowl honors, trailing only Alan Page (9) and John Randle (6) among DTs in Vikings history.
• Scored 2 TDs on INT returns in 2007 and holds the Vikings record for career INTs by a lineman with 4.

OFF THE FIELD
Married in June 2005 to Tasha, couple has a son…Tasha ended her collegiate basketball career in 2006 as a senior at Louisiana Tech, helping the Lady Techsters to the NCAA Tournament and earned All-Conference honors…Majored in general studies and earned his degree in the spring of 2003…Active in the Twin Cities community through the Vikings/United Way Hometown Huddle ARC-Hennepin County Clothing Drive, supports the Minnesota National Guard and the Vikings and Friends Holiday Party for the Salvation Army...Shares the same hometown as legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant...Enjoys the outdoors and is an avid fisherman...Current position coach, Karl Dunbar, was his collegiate position coach.

PRO
Moved into 9th in Vikings history with 48.5 career sacks, good for the 5th-most by a Vikings DT...Key part of the Vikings record-setting run defense in the past 3 seasons...Helped Vikings rank #1 in NFL rushing defense for the 3rd straight seasons from 2006-2008, the 1st NFL team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to lead the League in 3 straight seasons…His 5 Pro Bowls rank behind only Alan Page (9) and John Randle (6) by Vikings DTs…Named a 1st-Team Associated Press All-Pro in 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2004, leading all DTs in the voting in 2004…Named an NFC starter in the Pro Bowl following the 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2004 seasons…Joined fellow DT Pat Williams and DE Jared Allen in the Pro Bowl following 2008, the 3rd time in Vikings history a trio of defensive linemen earned Pro Bowl berths...Joined fellow Vikings DT Pat Williams in Pro Bowl following 2006, 2007 and 2008 season, the only Vikings DT tandem to play in 3 Pro Bowls...Led NFL DTs in sacks in 2004, notching team-high 11.5…Became only the 2nd Vikings rookie defender to start all 16 games in 2003, joining CB Dewayne Washington in 1994…Led the Vikings with 10.5 sacks, ranking behind only Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs among rookies…Consensus All-Rookie honoree…Selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft...Vikings’ highest draft choice on defense since Chris Doleman was selected with the #4 pick in 1985…Was the 3rd defensive lineman drafted in 2003.

2009
Tied for NFL lead among DTs with 6.0 sacks...Served as a defensive captain for the season...Earned 1st-Team All-Pro honors and named an NFC starter in the Pro Bowl...Helped Vikings defense rank #6 in the NFL in total defense for the 2nd straight year, the 1st time since 1993-94 with back-to-back top-10 finishes...Keyed Vikings rushing defense that ranked #2 in the NFL after ranking #1 for the 3 previous seasons...Played and started every game for the 4th straight season...Tied career-high with 3 passes defensed at Green Bay (11/1)...

2008
Voted by his teammates as the Vikings Defensive MVP...Earned 1st-Team All-Pro honors and named an NFC starter in the Pro Bowl...Took over as defensive captain after E.J. Henderson’s season-ending injury...Tied for NFL lead among all DTs with 8.5 sacks...Key component of the Vikings run defense that led the NFL in rushing defense for the 3rd straight season, the 1st time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger a team ranked #1 in 3 straight years...Helped Vikings rank #6 in the NFL in total defense, the highest ranking since the 1994 season...Set career-high and tied the 2nd-best single-game sack total in a game with 4.0 vs. Detroit (10/12)...Blocked FG attempt at New Orleans (10/6) that Antoine Winfield returned 59 yards for a TD on Monday Night Football, the 1st returned FG for a TD in Vikings history...Blocked FG in season opener at Green Bay (9/8)...Forced a fumble on Packers QB Aaron Rodgers while sacking him, which Rodgers recovered and attempted to throw from the end zone, resulting in an intentional grounding penalty and safety.

2007
Returned to Pro Bowl for 3rd time in his career and 2nd straight season…Joined teammate Pat Williams as the starting DTs for the NFC in the Pro Bowl, the 2nd time in Vikings history a pair of DTs went to consecutive Pro Bowls, following Alan Page and Gary Larsen in 1969 and 1970…Named 1st-Team All-Pro by Associated Press…Set a Vikings record for defensive linemen and tied a Vikings record with 4 career defensive TDs…Scored on a pair of INT returns, a 54-yarder vs. Atlanta (9/9) and an 18-yarder at San Francisco (12/9)…Scored the 2nd-fastest TD in Vikings history when he picked off 49ers QB Trent Dilfer and scored on the 18-yard return on the 1st offensive play of the game with only 14 seconds expired in the game…Keyed the Vikings defensive effort that ranked #1 in the NFL against the run for the 2nd straight year…Led Vikings defensive linemen with 78 tackles and ranked 6th on team…Helped Vikings rank 3rd in the NFL by allowing only 7 rushing TDs on the season…Held opponents to an average if 74.1 rushing yards per game and limited some of the NFL’s top talents during their games- holding Chargers All-Pro and 2007 NFL rushing champion LaDainian Tomlinson to 40 yards, Philadelphia All-Pro Brian Westbrook to 46 yards and Kansas City star Larry Johnson to 42 yards.

2006
Earned Associated Press All-Pro and starting job in the Pro Bowl for the 2nd time each in his career…Key part of the Vikings ranking #1 in the NFL in rushing defense…Helped defensive turnaround that ended with the defense ranking #8 overall in the NFL, the highest ranking since 1994…Teamed with fellow DT Pat Williams to lead run defense that allowed 985 rushing yards for the season (61.6 yards per game)…Both Vikings DTs earned Pro Bowl trips, the 1st time the Vikings sent a pair of DTs to the game since 1970 when Alan Page and Gary Larsen were honored…Started all 16 games for the 3rd time in his 4 NFL seasons…Scored 2nd career TD when he recovered a Seahawks fumble in the end zone at Seattle (10/22)…Set career-high with 6 QB hurries vs. Carolina (9/17) and vs. Arizona (11/26), winning both games…Helped hold Arizona (11/26) to only 6 rushing attempts, matching an NFL record for fewest rushing attempts in a game...Helped limit Lions to -3 rushing yards at Detroit (12/10)…Had sacks in 3 consecutive games, at Buffalo (10/1), vs. Detroit (10/8) and at Seattle (10/22).

2005
Ranked 2nd on the team with 4.0 sacks despite missing 2 games…Opened at UT when team played 4-3 defense and at LDE when Vikings played 3-4…Had a season-high 4 QB hurries and added 6 tackles vs. New Orleans (9/25)…Posted 7 tackles and a forced fumble at Atlanta (10/2)…Recorded 6 tackles and a sack of Kyle Orton at Chicago (10/16)…Started vs. Cleveland (11/27) but left game with right knee injury…Inactive for game at Detroit (12/4), snapping his streak of 43 straight games started…Returned from injury to play vs. eventual Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh (12/18) where he sacked Ben Roethlisberger.

2004
Built on his impressive rookie debut in his 2nd campaign, earning Associated Press All-Pro honors, a starting berth in the Pro Bowl and led the NFL in sacks by a DT with 11.5...Led Vikings in sacks for 2nd straight season…Led all NFL DTs in All-Pro votes and was named to numerous media outlets All-Pro and All-NFC squads…Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for performance vs. Jacksonville (11/28) when he had 6 tackles, a sack and returned a fumble for a TD in the final 2:00 of the game…Set a Vikings record for most sacks by a Viking in his opening 2 seasons with 22.0 sacks, breaking the mark of 21.5 held by Keith Millard…Marked the 3rd time in Vikings history that a player led the team in sacks as a rookie and his 2nd season, joining Alan Page (1967-68) and Keith Millard (1985-86), although Millard played in the USFL in 1984, his debut in pro football…Along with Lance Johnstone’s 11.0 sacks, joined only 2 other NFL tandems to post 10+ sacks each in 2004, Atlanta’s duo of Pat Kerney/Rod Coleman and Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney/Robert Mathis…Combined with Johnstone’s 11.0 sacks to mark the 1st Vikings duo to post consecutive 10+ sack seasons since Chris Doleman/John Randle in 1992-93…Led Vikings linemen and ranked 5th on the team with 98 tackles...Notched most tackles by a Vikings lineman since Chris Doleman’s 101 in 1991…Set Vikings record for passes defensed by a lineman with 10, breaking the mark of 7 by Randy Holloway…Scored 1st career TD on a 77-yard return of a Byron Leftwich fumble vs. Jacksonville (11/28), the longest return in Vikings history by a lineman and the 3rd-longest overall…Intercepted his 2nd career pass when he picked Patrick Ramsey at Washington (1/2/05).

2003
Made presence felt immediately, leading the Vikings with 10.5 sacks, the 2nd-most sacks by a Vikings rookie behind Keith Millard’s 11.0 in 1985…Consensus All-Rookie team honoree…Started opening 12 games of the season at LDE and moved inside to start at NT in final 4 games…Set Vikings rookie record with 3.0 sacks in season finale at Arizona (12/28)…Named NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month for December when he had 18 tackles, 5.0 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in the 4-game stretch…Joined Carl Eller (1964) and Al Noga (1988) as the only rookie DEs in team history to start the season opener when he opened game at Green Bay (9/7) in the 1st regular season contest in the newly-renovated Lambeau Field, a 30-25 Vikings win…Joined DE Lance Johnstone as players with 10.0+ sacks, the 1st time for the Vikings since 1993 when Chris Doleman and John Randle accomplished the feat.

COLLEGE

Was a mainstay on the Cowboys’ defensive front, starting 42 games...All-Big 12 1st-team pick by the league’s coaches and the Associated Press as a senior…Earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors for his performance vs. Nebraska…Started 10 of 11 games as a junior with 9 starts at DT and 1 at DE…Named 3rd-team Freshman-All American selection by The Sporting News in 1999…All-Big 12 3rd-team selection by the league’s coaches and started all 11 games as a redshirt freshman...Redshirted as a true freshman in 1998.

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