As we did when the Browns signed quarterback Josh McCown and wide receiver Brian Hartline, here are several things you might not know about new Browns defensive back Tramon Williams.
1) Tramon Williams went to Assumption High School in Napoleonville, Louisiana (population 700). Williams was known more as a track star in high school, finishing in the top three in the state in the long jump, triple jump and high jump.
2) Williams was not recruited at all out of high school and abandoned football to focus on an engineering degree at Louisiana Tech. Williams had to claw his way onto the roster as a walk-on, but floored coaches when he jumped 42.5 inches on his vertical leap.
3) Like a plethora of other successful Browns players, Williams went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech and was one of the final cuts made by the Houston Texans before the 2006 season began. The Packers eventually gobbled up Williams in November of 2006.
4) Williams first started making his mark on the Packers by playing special teams – both as a gunner and return man. On Nov. 18, Williams took a punt 94 yards to the house for his first career touchdown.
5) By late 2008, Williams had earned the starting role opposite future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson. Williams became a household name to many in 2010, when he picked off six passes in the regular season and added three more in the playoffs – which became a critical reason Green Bay advanced to the Super Bowl. Williams made the Pro Bowl that season.
6) From 2008-2011, Williams tallied at least four interceptions in four straight seasons.
7) Said Packers defensive backs coach Joe Whitt to NOLA.com: "He's exactly what you want an NFL player to be … He plays and practices like he is going to lose his job." 8) In Green Bay, alongside his wife, Shantrell, the cornerback created the Tramon Williams Powder Puff Game to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Packers' wives competed against each other while members of Green Bay's secondary served as coaches.
9) To keep his body in pristine shape, the 32-year-old Williams has taken on an array of techniques to keep his body fresh. He credits yoga and frequent massages among the top reasons why he's missed so few games throughout his career. Although he's listed as 5-foot-11, Williams has routinely shown the physicality to match up with much larger wide receivers.
10) Williams, known for his smarts, double-majored in sociology and computer science.
11) Williams grew up playing football with longtime New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs in Louisiana. The pair and other teammates had a tradition of eating chicken, red beans and rice and playing Madden before their Friday night high school games.
