DeAngelo Williams, Memphis' all-time leading rusher, elected to College Football Hall of Fame
DeAngelo Williams, Memphis football's all-time leading rusher, will be the first Tiger player ever inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony is set for Dec. 5, 2023, at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
Joining Williams as part of the 22-person 2023 class are Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, Eric Berry, Dwight Freeney, Luke Kuechly, Brian Westbrook and Troy Vincent, among others.
The 39-year-old Williams played for Memphis from 2002-05.
“No one is more deserving of this amazing recognition than DeAngelo Williams," Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield said in a school release. “He has meant so much to our university and our football program. DeAngelo loves his Tigers and we are so pleased that he is being honored for all his accomplishments and contributions to college football.”
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Williams, a native of Wynne, Arkansas, led the Tigers to three straight bowl game appearances, the first such streak in program history. A first-team All-American in 2005 and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, Williams finished his career as the FBS record-holder in all-purpose yards (7,573), which now ranks fourth all-time. His school-record 6,026 career rushing yards are the sixth-most in college football history. Williams also remains Memphis' all-time leader in rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards.
Williams was a three-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and went to have over 10,200 all-purpose yards during his 11-year NFL career, which began in 2006 after he was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, rushing for 8,096 yards and scoring 70 total touchdowns.
Former Memphis coach Billy J. Murphy was part of last year's College Football Hall of Fame class and was inducted last month. That's when he joined former Tigers coach Allyn McKeen in the hall.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football: DeAngelo Williams elected to College Football Hall of Fame
