High school: Dunbar (TX) Weight: 193 lb (88 kg) | Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Name Joe Williams | |
Date of birth: (1947-03-30) March 30, 1947 (age 68) | ||
Joseph Harold Williams (born March 30, 1947) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Wyoming.
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Early years
Williams attended Dunbar High School, where he helped his team achieve a 26-3 record. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Wyoming.
As a junior, he rushed for 596 yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 games.
As a senior tri-captain, he was one of the fourteen African American players that were dismissed from the team after threatening to wear black armbands during a game against BYU, to protest the racial policies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That season he only played in 4 games, rushing for 258 yards and one touchdown. He finished his college career with 1,190 rushing yards, 147 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.
At the time of the incident (known as the "Black 14"), the Cowboys were undefeated (4-0) and ranked 12th in the nation. Even though Wyoming beat BYU 40-7 and San Jose State University the next game without the players, it would lose its last four games of 1969 and went 1-9 the next year, which prompted the school to fire head coach Lloyd Eaton. The incident also affected the University to successfully recruit African American players for several years.
Dallas Cowboys
Williams was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 12th round (309th overall) of the 1970 NFL Draft because of his speed. As a rookie, he was used sparingly and spent most of his time on the taxi squad.
He earned a Super Bowl ring in his second year in the league as a member of the Super Bowl VI-winning team under coach Tom Landry. On January 31, 1972, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a fourth round draft choice (#83-Tim Kearney).
New Orleans Saints
In 1972, the New Orleans Saints acquired Williams in a trade, after he averaged seven yards on six carries against them in the 1970 preseason. He played in 14 games (3 starts), posting 72 rushing yards and 116 passing yards. He was waived on June 19, 1973.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams claimed him off waivers on June 19, 1973, before releasing him on August 29.