By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
A Buffalo Bills fan favorite and legend, Kyle Williams, will hang em’ up following the team’s season finale on Sunday.
Williams, a 13-year veteran of the NFL, announced his decision on Friday via team release. When the Bills (5-10) host the Miami Dolphins (7-8) at New Era Field, Williams will leave the stadium as a player for the final time.
Spending his entire career in western New York, the Louisiana native made plenty of memories for fans to remember him by.
With that, here are seven ways Bills fans can remember Williams:
The start
In 182 career games, Williams has 606 tackles, 48.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 12 passes defended. It was a long, winding road to get there and an improbable one. In 2006, Williams was selected by the Bills a fifth-round pick. Williams himself is typically quick to point out that the No. 134 pick that he was selected with was actually the first pick of the round, so the 35-year-old will jokingly call himself a first-overall pick. Williams, a National Champion with LSU in 2003, fell to the fifth-round mostly due to his size. At 6-foot-1, Williams entered the NFL during a period when massive defensive tackles filled the center of the defensive line.
During Williams’ rookie season, he didn’t take long to impress. He came off the bench for the first five games of his career and then in Week 6 against the Lions, Williams started his first-career game and never lost that spot. However, it wasn’t until his second season in 2007 when he recorded his first-career sack against Jets QB Chad Pennington in Week 7.
A true underdog from the start.
Touchdown Kyle
In what some thought might be Williams’ final game in a Bills uniform, he finally scored a touchdown. In the third quarter, Williams entered the game as a fullback behind then-quarterback Tyrod Taylor in 2017’s regular season finale. Even despite Williams heading into the game on the play, few imagined what would happen next. It was clear that Miami’s defensive line wasn’t expecting it either. Rather easily, Williams took a one-yard carry into the end zone. The score eventually went down as the game-winning score, too. In a game that sent the Bills to the playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons.
Kyle interception
Williams has nearly 50 sacks in his NFL career. He’s brought down and hit guys like Tom Brady plenty of times. Williams has even jumped on six loose fumbles and caused another four by himself. But there’s something Williams only did one time: record an interception.
In Buffalo’s season-opening win in 2014, the Bills topped the Bears 23-20. With then-quarterback Jay Cutler scrambling out of the pocket being chased by Bills defensive end Mario Williams, Cutlermade a quick decision to get rid of the ball. Targeting a player at the line of scrimmage, Cutler didn’t realize Williams dropped back into coverage on the play. The defensive tackle even jumped in front of the route like a cornerback:
Tears of joy
Perhaps the most memorable moment for Williams in a Bills uniform will date back to the same game he scored his only touchdown in. After Buffalo topped Miami, the players ran to the locker room and put on the Ravens – Bengals game. Insanity ensued as quarterback Andy Dalton found Tyler Boyd for the game-winning score on fourth-and-very long. The players knew what had happened. They made the playoffs.
Williams, 12 years into his career at the time, was overcome. His face said it all.
Sack on Johnny Manziel
Of Williams’ 48.5 career sacks, one is most memorable. Against the Browns, Johnny Manziel entered the game at quarterback versus the Bills. Williams game him a welcome to the NFL. The defensive tackle completely tossed over Manziel and the Bills nearly scored on a dropback on Manziel’s second career series running their offense. On the play, Manziel, not injured, just sort’ve… laid there after. It turned into an internet meme.
Trademark celebration
Much like former Bills running back Fred Jackson, Williams incorporated a hulk-like celebration after sacks. We won’t soon forget it.
Thank You Kyle!