James Williams (cornerback)

James Earl "J.D." Williams (born March 30, 1967) is an American football coach and former cornerback who is the cornerbacks coach for the Fresno State Bulldogs. He played college football at Fresno State and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft.^[2] Williams played in six NFL seasons, from 1990 to 1994 and 1996 for the Bills, Arizona Cardinals, and San Francisco 49ers.^[3]

TitleCornerbacks coach

Born (1967-03-30) March 30, 1967 (age 59)
Osceola, Arkansas, U.S.

Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)

Quick facts Fresno State Bulldogs, Title ...

James Williams

Williams in 2024
Fresno State Bulldogs
Title	Cornerbacks coach
Personal information
Born	(1967-03-30) March 30, 1967 (age 59) Osceola, Arkansas, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school	Coalinga (Coalinga, California)
College	Fresno State
NFL draft	1990: 1st round, 16th overall pick
Career history
Playing
Buffalo Bills (1990–1993) Arizona Cardinals (1994) Carolina Panthers (1995)*[1] San Francisco 49ers (1996)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Coaching
Fresno State (1997) Graduate assistant Cal Poly (1998) Defensive backs San Jose State (1999) Defensive backs Fresno State (2000–2001) Defensive backs California (2002–2005) Defensive backs Washington (2006–2008) Defensive backs Utah (2009) Defensive backs UNLV (2010–2011) Assistant head coach/defensive backs UNLV (2012) Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Georgia State (2013–2014) Special teams coordinator/defensive backs UNLV (2015–2016) Defensive backs Fresno State (2017–2019) Defensive backs Fresno State (2020–present) Cornerbacks
Awards and highlights
PFWA All-Rookie Team (1990) Third-team All-American (1989)
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions 11 Forced fumbles 1 Fumble recoveries 4 Tackles 134 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Close

Williams was most notable for being the first player on the Buffalo Bills squad to don number 31, which had been "retired" to represent the spirit of the franchise. Since Williams wore the number, the Bills have allowed anyone to wear the 31 jersey; it was later worn by Dwayne Wright, who like Williams, went to Fresno State. Jairus Byrd wore the number before becoming a free agent; he used it because his college number, 32, was unofficially retired because of O. J. Simpson.

After retiring from football, Williams became a football coach beginning in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Fresno State.^[4]