/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12029889/gyi0062276496.0.jpg)
Just saw this come over Twitter a little bit ago.
Pat Williams will sign a 1-day contract with the Vikings, will announce retirement as a Viking bit.ly/10bwqE2 twitter.com/Vikings/status…
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 23, 2013
Pat Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M after the 1997 NFL Draft. He played for the Bills for eight seasons, and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent prior to the 2005 season. From there, he teamed with Kevin Williams to form the "Williams Wall," the tandem that keyed the Vikings' leading the National Football League in rushing defense for three consecutive years (2006, 2007, and 2008).
Both Pat and Kevin Williams received completely bogus "doping" suspensions near the end of the 2008 season, but the ensuing legal battle allowed Pat Williams to reach his retirement after the 2010 season without having to serve a bogus suspension for the bogus charges.
During his time as a Viking, Pat Williams was the true definition of a run stopper. In his six seasons with Minnesota, he managed 7.5 sacks, but was absolutely immovable in the running game. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times as a member of the Vikings, and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2007. He even managed an interception for the Vikings. . .which is strange, as NFL.com doesn't have it on his official stats. However, they have a video of it that you can see right here, when the Williams Wall became the first pair of defensive tackles to have interceptions in the same game in NFL history.
Congratulations to Pat Williams on his retirement, and here's hoping that he finds continued success going forward.