Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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Stats to know
Broncos stats: 49 games, 38 starts, 28.5 sacks, 131 total tackles, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown
Career stats: 128 games, 92 starts, 59.5 sacks, 316 tackles, two safeties, nine forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown
In his own words
"Early on in the NFL, you're just trying to be proficient. Early on, I was working on my craft, and then I got out to the 49ers, where I learned to play football. By the time I got to Denver, I was a good football player. So when I got to Denver, my confidence level was just through the roof. I was confident, I was happy, I was excitable.
"Von Miller reminds me a lot of myself as a player, and his personality. Von is more accomplished than I was in my career at this stage, but his energy, his charisma reminds me a lot of myself."
Three games to remember
Week 3, 1996: Broncos 27, Buccaneers 23
In a performance that would earn him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, Williams had two plays that changed the course of the game. On the first, he sacked Bucs QB Trent Dilfer on third down with seven seconds left before halftime to ensure Tampa would get no more than a field goal after driving to the 11-yard line. The four points Williams helped save would make the difference in the final score.
Williams' second key play also came in a decisive moment, as the Broncos looked to protect their 27-23 lead with less than two minutes left in the game and Tampa near midfield. As Dilfer dropped back to pass, Williams beat the right tackle around the edge, reached out with his left arm and jarred the ball loose from Dilfer's hands before he could pass. Williams then dove on the ball to secure the victory.
Week 4, 1997: Broncos 38, Bengals 20
It may not have been the biggest game nor Williams' best, but it included one of his more memorable plays. As the Bengals faced an 11-point deficit with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, they continued what could only be considered a drive of desperation. Shortly after crossing midfield, Broncos defensive lineman Neil Smith rocked quarterback Jeff Blake, knocking the ball loose. Williams was there to pick it up, and after outrunning his former college teammate, Eric Bieniemy, he leaped over the goal line for a touchdown against the team that had originally drafted him.
1997 Divisional Round: Broncos 14, Chiefs 10
By taking down the Jaguars to begin their postseason campaign, the Broncos had gotten their first playoff win since the 1991 playoffs. To add to it, they'd have to take down the division champion Chiefs on their home turf at Arrowhead Stadium in freezing temperatures. As good as Denver's offense was with John Elway and Terrell Davis, their defense showed its mettle by holding Kansas City's fifth-ranked scoring offense to just 10 points. With two sacks in the game, Williams was a key piece to that effort.
His second sack, which dropped the Chiefs back 10 yards on their final drive, may have been overcome with a 23-yard pass on the next play, but it helped contribute to Kansas City's clock mismanagement. The Chiefs wasted 18 seconds after Williams' sack and were unable to get set for a play before the two-minute warning. Then, after the 23-yard play, they called their final time out with 1:51 left and 28 yards to the goal line. With time winding down and the Chiefs unable to get out of bounds on first, second and third down, QB Elvis Grbac opted to go for a touchdown on fourth down, even though the first down marker was just 2 yards away from the line of scrimmage. The Broncos broke up the pass, left Arrowhead with a win and were Super Bowl champions two games later.