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posted 04/14/99
The Green Bay Packers have signed free agent Keith Williams, a recent track standout on the national scene, as a defensive back, Executive Vice President/General Manager Ron Wolf announced today.
The 5-10, 200-pound Williams, a former St. Cloud, Minn., State running back, played cornerback for the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe in four preseason games this spring before signing on with the Packers, posting four interceptions and blocking six punts.
Originally signed by the Denver Broncos as a free agent on April 7, 1997, he was placed on waivers June 2, 1997, and out of football the balance of that year. In 1998, Williams played for the Minneapolis Lumberjacks of the Mid-America Football League, a semi-pro organization, and was chosen the league's "Player of the Year" after amassing 1,956 all-purpose yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.
Possessor of 4.34 speed in the 40-yard dash, Williams won the 60-meter dash in the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships at Atlanta, Ga., in 1996 with a time of 6.56 seconds. He later competed in the Olympic trials that year, finishing second in the '60,' and qualified as an alternate member of the nation's 400-meter relay team in running the 100-meter event.
Reggie McKenzie, the Packers' director of pro personnel, explaining the recent conversion of Williams to defensive back from running back, said, "With the quickness and speed that he has, we want to see if he can cover.
"Right now, he'll be the fastest guy on our team. He has to learn, of course, how to put that speed into that position."
Williams, who is 25, will join the Packers in their post-draft minicamp next week (April 22-25).