After a decade of dominance in Minnesota, in which Williams helped the Vikings rank in the top two against the run four years in a row (2006-09), the Arkadelphia, Arkansas, native spent a season apiece with Seattle and New Orleans, notching another three sacks and increasing his forced fumbles to nine.
Overall, Williams amassed an approximate value of 129 (tied for 162nd all-time regardless of position), according to pro-football-reference.com. His Hall of Fame monitor score on the same site, indicating his chances of election someday is 105.03, and is ninth in history among defensive tackles. For context, Vikings Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame members Alan Page and John Randle compiled 142.38 and 136.28 scores. The player on the chart directly beneath Williams is Gold Jacket Cortez Kennedy, who retired in 2000 and was inducted in 2012.
Williams has not advanced, yet, to the semifinalist stage, entering his sixth year of eligibility.
Other defensive linemen included on this year’s list of nominees are John Abraham (DE/LB), Geno Atkins (DT), Jurrell Casey (DT), Elvis Dumervil (DE), La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Haloti Ngata (DT), Jay Ratliff (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Justin Smith (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT) and Vince Wilfork (DT/NT).