Miami, Fla. (FIUSports.com) – Former FIU defensive end Tourek Williams became the second Panther drafted in 2013 with his sixth round selection, 179th overall, to the San Diego Chargers.
Williams' selection equals the 2007 NFL Draft as the only other time multiple FIU players had been selected in the same year. In 2007, Antwan Barnes (Baltimore, fourth round, 134th overall) and Chandler Williams (Minnesota, seventh round, 233rd overall) both made history as the first pair of Panthers to get drafted. Williams is the sixth player out of FIU to ever be drafted and follows Johnathan Cyprien, who was the 33rd pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, first of the second round on Friday.
Williams is arguably one of the top defensive ends ever to play at FIU. The three-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree and 2012 team captain started the most career games ever by a defensive lineman at FIU (39). In 2012, Williams led the team with 14.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, going along with a career-high 46 total tackles (including 29 solo), two pass break-ups and three quarterback hurries. He finished his FIU tenure second to former Panther and current NFL San Diego Charger Antwan Barnes in career tackles for loss (45.5), yardage from TFLs (224), sacks (18.0) and yardage from sacks (155).
Following the 2012 season, despite a 3-9 team mark, league coaches chose Williams onto the All-SBC Conference First-Team. The year-ending accolade was his third straight, after second-team recognition following the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Recognition was plenty for Williams surrounding his senior season in Miami, after beginning the campaign being voted the SBC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches and media, along with a spot on the 2012 Preseason All-SBC Team. He earned unanimous preseason All-SBC First-Team honors from Athlon's, Blue Ribbon, CBSSports.com, Lindy's and Phil Steele, as well as Lindy's No. 1 NFL talent in the Sun Belt Conference.
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The free agent wire will also be active for former FIU standouts as over 20 seniors graduated following the 2012 season and had impressive Pro Day workouts in front of 32 professional franchises this past March, including Tevin Blanchard, Josh Brisk, Rupert Bryan, Jr., Jose Cheeseborough, Kenneth Dillard, Joshua Forney, Winston Fraser, Chuck Grace, Jack Griffin, Jeremiah Harden, Jordan Hunt, David Istanich, Mike Jean-Louis, Paul Lungren, Mitch MacClugage, Darian Mallary, Andrew Mattox, Junior Mertile, Andre Pound, Giancarlo Revilla, Shae Smith, Wayne Times and Jacob Younger.
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
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