David Laverne Williams (August 10, 1945 – June 19, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for 10 years in the National Football League (NFL) and the World Football League (WFL). He was the first player signed by the Seattle Seahawks in 1975.
Dave Williams
Portrait of Dave Williams in Cardinal uniform
Williams with Cardinals, 1968
No. 80
Position:
Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:
August 10, 1945
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S.
Died:
June 19, 2024 (aged 78)
Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.
Height:
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:
207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:
Lincoln (Tacoma, Washington)
College:
Washington
NFL draft:
1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16
Career history
St. Louis Cardinals (1967–1971)
San Diego Chargers (1972–1973)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1973)
Southern California Sun (1974–1975)
Seattle Seahawks (1976)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-American (1965)
First-team All-PCC (1965)
Second-team All-Pac-8 (1966)
Player stats at PFR
Williams was an All-American for the Washington Huskies in football and track, as a decathlete. He was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2014.
Following his pro football career, Williams has been an executive working in property management for more than four decades. He helped to establish a church on Kauai in 2001, which met in a tent until the North Shore Christian Church building was completed in 2014.