Husky Hall Of Famer Dave Williams Passes Away At 78
June 21, 2024 | Football
Dave Williams, a six-time letterwinner on the Washington football and track & field teams, and a 2014 inductee to the Husky Hall of Fame, has passed away at the age of 78, his family has confirmed.
Williams, who attended Lincoln High in Tacoma, Wash., was born August 10, 1945, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After earning 12 varsity letters in high school, he enrolled at the University of Washington, where he was a standout on the football and track teams, earning three letters in each, in an era when freshmen were not eligible.
Williams earned first-team all-conference and second-team All-America as an end on the football team in 1965, and second-team All-Pac-8 in 1966. He set marks in both football and track that still rank among the top-10 in UW history nearly 60 years later. He also made the 1964 Olympic Trials in the decathlon.
In 1967, Williams was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 16th pick of the first round of the NFL Draft. He went on to play eight seasons in the NFL, for the Cardinals, Chargers, and Steelers, and two more for the Southern California Sun in the World Football League. He caught 183 passes over 86 career games in the NFL.
In 1976, Williams was the first player ever signed by the expansion Seattle Seahawks, though he never played for his hometown team due to an injury.
Following his playing career, Williams worked in the property management field, for a company he founded while with the Chargers, and also dedicated time to the newly-founded NFL Players Association, advocating for pensions for retired players.
Williams passed away on June, 19, 2024, in Amelia Island, Fla., after a long illness.
Williams, who attended Lincoln High in Tacoma, Wash., was born August 10, 1945, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After earning 12 varsity letters in high school, he enrolled at the University of Washington, where he was a standout on the football and track teams, earning three letters in each, in an era when freshmen were not eligible.
Williams earned first-team all-conference and second-team All-America as an end on the football team in 1965, and second-team All-Pac-8 in 1966. He set marks in both football and track that still rank among the top-10 in UW history nearly 60 years later. He also made the 1964 Olympic Trials in the decathlon.
In 1967, Williams was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 16th pick of the first round of the NFL Draft. He went on to play eight seasons in the NFL, for the Cardinals, Chargers, and Steelers, and two more for the Southern California Sun in the World Football League. He caught 183 passes over 86 career games in the NFL.
In 1976, Williams was the first player ever signed by the expansion Seattle Seahawks, though he never played for his hometown team due to an injury.
Following his playing career, Williams worked in the property management field, for a company he founded while with the Chargers, and also dedicated time to the newly-founded NFL Players Association, advocating for pensions for retired players.
Williams passed away on June, 19, 2024, in Amelia Island, Fla., after a long illness.
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