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Broncos’ DeShawn Williams making most of his third opportunity in Denver

By George Stoia November 10, 2020 | updated 5 years ago

DeShawn Williams’ football journey has been anything but easy. 

The Broncos defensive tackle has spent time on four different teams since going undrafted in 2015 — he also had a short stint in the Canadian Football League — before recently landing in Denver on Aug. 15. Since then, Williams has proved his worth, playing 33.9 percent of defensive snaps and most recently making starts against the Chargers and Falcons. He had a career-high five tackles in Atlanta on Sunday. 

But it wasn’t long ago that Williams didn’t know if he’d ever play football again. 

“I was just waiting on my moment and always being ready so I don’t have to get ready,” said Williams, who has totaled 18 tackles and one interception this year. “But also, just having a bunch of great guys supporting me through this journey and finally getting to see me play and knowing what I’m capable of doing — showing it each and every week. I just want to show something.”

Williams played in four games for the Bengals in 2016, but has spent most of his career on the practice squads in Cincinnati (2015-17), Denver (2018), Miami (2018), Indianapolis (2018) and Denver again (2019). After being released by the Broncos on Aug. 31, 2019, Williams joined the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in December. 

But after the CFL decided not to play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams asked for his release on Aug. 11, making it a full year since he had played football. The next day, Broncos defensive line coach Bill Kollar,  director of player personnel Matt Russell and general manager John Elway called Williams, asking if he wanted to return to Denver for a third go-around. 

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Woody Paige: Vegas debut for storied Broncos, Raiders rivalry a low-budget sequel

“Every city that I went to — either I was there for practice squad or a short period of time — not one coach or GM told me that I can’t play,” Williams said. “I was just so thankful to have that opportunity back because I was out of football for a whole year. So just to show that I can come in for two weeks in camp after being away for a whole year, (I) surprised myself.”

Williams doesn’t know what the future holds, saying he could be cut at any moment and it wouldn’t surprise him given his past. 

But this he knows for sure: He was born to be a football player.  

“Football I think is just my calling,” Williams said. “God gives people a lot of talent, and me — I’m not the tallest, I’m not the biggest. I’m 6-foot-1, 290 (pounds), but somehow when I get on the field, I do something to contribute for the team and it shows. I don’t really know how to say it, but I think God’s just got his arms over me and he just made me a football player.”

Broncos rookie roundup: Jerry Jeudy ‘hitting his stride’ in week 9

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George Stoia

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