From the collection of long-time FSU Trainer Don Fauls
donated to Florida State by his children
| Del Williams |
Full Name: Delano Roger Williams
Born: November 9, 1945, Live Oak, Fla.
Died: November 28, 1984, Slidell, La.
School: Suwannee High School in Live Oak, Florida
Legacy Bricks: Legacy Walk Map Link
1982 Football HOF - Loc 38
1966 Football AA - Loc 61
|
| Click On Photo To Enlarge |
|
|
|
| Saint Del Williams in action (61) From the collection of long-time FSU Trainer Don Fauls donated to Florida State by his children |
| FSU Career |
| Football | |
Year No Pos Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown 1964 70 T 6-2 229 So * Live Oak 1965 70 OT 6-2 230 Jr * Live Oak 1966 70 OG 6-2 237 Sr * Live Oak |
 |
| All-American Awards |
| Football |
Year Award
1966 Associated Press - 2nd Team All-American
Newspaper Enterprises Association - 2nd Team All-American
United Press International - 2nd Team All-American
|
| Member of the FSU Hall of Fame |
| Elected into the FSU Hall of Fame in 1982 |
|
His big number 70 cleared a path for Seminole backs for three years, 1964-1966. For two years the Live Oak native played tackle, switching to guard in 1966. Del Williams played in the Gator and Sun
Bowls and following his final season, played in the Coaches' All-American game. He also became the first Seminole picked to play in the East-West Shrine game. In 1966 Del Williams was awarded the
Tallahassee Quarterback Club's trophy as most valuable Seminole gridder. That season he was named second team All-American by NEA, UPI, and AP. In his senior year, Miami Herald sports editor Edwin
Pope wrote of Del, "He is one of the best pulling guards I have ever seen." After graduation, Williams started at guard, tackle, and center from 1967 to 1973 for the New Orleans Saints. In the
trenches where the game is decided, no one in Garnet and Gold has made his mark with greater ability and dedication than Del Williams. Obituary for Del Williams From the Tallahassee Democrat By Bill McGrotha November 29, 1984 Del Williams, one of the great players of Florida State football history, died Wednesday morning after a year's battle with amytrophic lateral sclerosis - "Lou Gehrig's Disease." He died at age 39 in Slidell, La., where he lived during several outstanding seasons as an offensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints, and where he owned a thriving automobile business. A Live Oak native, Williams was the only sophomore to start every game during Florida State's celebrated 1964 season that saw the Seminoles beat Florida for the first time. That team holds a 20th annual reunion here this weekend. An offensive tackle, he was chosen to the All-American second team of The Associated Press during his senior year. A member of the original Saints, he played all five offensive-line positions at one time or another for the NFL team. During his years with the Saints, the popular Williams returned to Tallahassee for a period and was in business here. After retirement from the Saints, he entered business in Slidell. He also did football play-by-play for the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL and for Tulane University. One of the best known and liked of former Florida State players, Williams had played high-school ball on a championship team under Gene Cox, the Leon coach, at Live Oak. Earlier this year, Williams came in a wheelchair to Live Oak for a last reunion with old teammates, schoolmates and coaches. The disease that struck down Lou Gehrig, the famed first baseman of the New York Yankees, hit Williams late last season. Like Gehrig, Williams seemed among the biggest and strongest of men. Amytrophic lateral sclerosis - an insidious disease, according to the book - is rare. Its cause is unknown. It is characterized by progressive deterioration of affected areas, but the senses are not impaired. The disease is usually fatal within two to six years. Williams' time was shorter. With Williams, it apparently started in the summer of '83. The little finger on his left hand started to droop. It seemed like nothing. Then it worsened. In October, he saw a neurologist, but it was not until last February that his affliction was diagnosed by the Mayo Clinic. "Sometimes the challenges are pretty steep," Williams said after learning of the diagnosis. "And no one has promised tomorrow. "They told me it hits one man in a million. It happened to be my number that came up." He said those words matter of factly, even cheerfully. Saying he had put his problem into the hands of the Lord, and that it was the only way to go, he remained uncommonly cheerful as the paralysis spread. One of the early moves Williams mad after learning of his illness was to visit Florida State. He walked into the office of Athletic Director Hootie Ingram, introduced himself, told him of the circumstances and made quiet arrangements to endow a scholarship. Bobby Bowden became close to Williams when he was an assistant with the Seminoles in '64. "The last time I saw Del was last August," said Florida State's head coach. "He was lying in a van, had been to Live Oak and was returning to Slidell. He could talk only a little then. "But there was that old smile." Williams once said the first indoor plumbing he knew came when he enrolled at Florida State. "I remember going to Live Oak to make a speech, and Del went along," said Bowden. "That was when we got kinda close. After the speech, he took me to his house, and he lived way back there, in a cabin with his grandmother. It was just real nice. Modest, but real nice. "I tell you what Del was like - just a big, strong compassionate guy, that's what he was. "He probably had as much courage as anybody I ever saw on the football field. He was tenderhearted off the field, but out on that field he would work you over, wear you out and bury you. He was afraid of nothing." The week prior to the South Carolina game Del's brother Al wrote a lengthy letter to Bowden. At this point, the only way Del could communicate was with a pencil in his mouth that enabled him to spell out words on a child's toy. He sent a message to the Seminoles wishing the well, and particularly urged the offensive line to do its best. Bowden read portions of the letter to the squad. Gene Cox recalled the Del Williams that played for him. "Among the things I remember was that he used to play football all afternoon," said Cox, "and then go home and plow." Williams talked earlier this year, after full realization of his situation, of having everything anyone could want. When just two years ago he was inducted into Florida State's Athletic Hall of Fame at a dinner that was not formal, the proud Williams showed up in a tuxedo. Williams also had talked of not having so much growing up. "But we had love and companionship," he said, "and every time the Rosemary Baptist Church opened its doors we were there." On Saturday the doors of Rosemary Baptist Church open one last time for Del Williams. The funeral is at 11 a.m. |
| FSU Statistics |
| Football |
Season Statistics
Defense
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
Year GP | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
---------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
1964 10 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1965 10 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1966 10 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
---------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot 30 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
|
Offense/Kick and Punt Returns
| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
Year GP | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
---------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
1964 10 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
1965 10 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
1966 10 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
---------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot 30 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
|
| Football |
Game Participation
| Starts
1964 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 19 Miami | 1 LT
Sep 26 Texas Christian | 1 LT
Oct 3 New Mexico State | 1 LT
Oct 10 Kentucky | 1 LT
Oct 17 Georgia | 1 LT
Oct 24 Virginia Tech | 1 LT
Oct 31 Southern Mississippi | 1 LT
Nov 7 Houston | 1 LT
Nov 14 North Carolina State | 1 LT
Nov 21 Florida | 1 LT
Jan 2 Oklahoma | 1 LT
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 11 11 0
| Starts
1965 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 25 Texas Christian | 1 LT
Oct 2 Baylor | 1 LT
Oct 9 Kentucky | 1 LT
Oct 16 Georgia | 1 LT
Oct 23 Alabama | 1 LT
Oct 30 Virginia Tech | 1 LT
Nov 6 Wake Forest | 1 LT
Nov 13 North Carolina State | 1 LT
Nov 20 Houston | 1 LT
Nov 27 Florida | 1 LT
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 10 10 0
| Starts
1966 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 17 Houston | 1 RG
Sep 24 Miami | 1 RG
Oct 8 Florida | 1 RG
Oct 15 Texas Tech | 1 RG
Oct 22 Mississippi State | 1 RG
Oct 29 Virginia Tech | 1 RG
Nov 5 South Carolina | 1 RG
Nov 12 Syracuse | 1 RG
Nov 19 Wake Forest | 1 RG
Nov 26 Maryland | 1 RG
Dec 24 Wyoming | 1 RG
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 11 11 0
----------------------------|--------------
Career Tot | 32 32 0
|
| Football |
Game Statistics
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
1964 | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Oct 24 Virginia Tech | 1 0 1 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot | 1 0 1 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
|
| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
1964 | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Oct 24 Virginia Tech | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
|
| Pro Career |
| Football | |
Height: 6-2 Weight: 245 Drafted: 1967, 3rd Round #79, New Orleans Saints, C Debut: September 17, 1967 Year Abbr Team No Pos 1967 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG 1968 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG 1969 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG 1970 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG 1971 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG 1972 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG 1973 NO New Orleans Saints 61 OG |
 |
| Pro Statistics |
| Football |
Offensive Statistics Year Team GP GS ----------------- 1967 NO 14 14 1968 NO 14 12 1969 NO 14 14 1970 NO 14 14 1971 NO 14 14 1972 NO 8 6 1973 NO 14 13 ----------------- 7 Years 92 87 |