In a career that
can be described as steady if not spectacular, defensive end Ben Williams'
career stood the test of time. Drafted in the third round in 1976, he became
the starter at left defensive end in 1977 and never relinquished his hold
on that position until he retired in 1986.
In his early years he had acquired the reputation as an excellent run stuffer, utilizing his great strength and foot speed. He would fight off blockers and then get to the ball carrier with his lateral quickness. In 1979 the Buffalo Bills switched from a 4-3 defensive alignment to the 3-4. The switch to the 3-4 combined with the addition of nose tackle Fred Smerlas led to Williams blossoming into a pass rushing star. There are no stats on how many sacks Ben Williams had before 1980, as defensive stats of that nature weren't kept up until then.
In 1980 Williams helped the Bills win their first AFC East title by registering eleven sacks and 63 tackles, surprisingly he was ignored by players and coaches and wasn't picked to go to the Pro Bowl. He followed that season with another double digit sack total in 1981, registering 10.5 sacks and 82 tackles. Bills players lobbied hard to get Williams selected to go to Hawaii but he was snubbed again. In the strike shortened 1982 season, Williams still managed 46 tackles and 4 sacks and finally was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
In 1983 Williams had another big year, with ten sacks and a whopping 103 tackles but ironically, was ignored for the Pro Bowl. Williams fellow players were outraged but Williams shrugged it off. This was his personality as a player and as a man. He was as athletically gifted as anyone but it was his smarts and hard work that defined him. He owned his own film projector and studied film endlessly. It's no surprise that he was an avid chess player. It was from his love of chess that he learned how to prepare for opponents. He would study films of opposing players and find any kind of flaw in their game that he could use as a edge. Ben Williams wasn't known for his theatrics on the field. There was no sack dance, even though he got to the quarterback more times than any other Bill before him. It was probably his humbleness that prevented him from going to the Pro Bowl all those years. He wasn't a self promoter. He played because he loved the game. Fittingly, he retired on the same day Jim Kelly arrived as the heralded savior of the Buffalo Bills. He just walked into coach Hank Bullogh's office during training camp and retired. He was the Bills sack leader with 45.5 at the time. He still remains forth over-all. He is also a member of the Buffalo Bills Silver Anniversary team.