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Travis Williams (January 14, 1946 – February 17, 1991) was an American football player for the Green Bay Packers. Williams attended Harry Ells High School, Contra Costa College and Arizona State University, before being selected in the 1967 NFL Draft at the insistence of Packers' coach Vince Lombardi. He returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his rookie season in 1967, setting an NFL record. Among the returns were two in one quarter against the Cleveland Browns to set another league record. He also set the record for single-season kickoff return average with 41.06 yards, returning 18 kickoffs for 739 yards, helping the Packers win their second consecutive Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl II).

Williams played four seasons with the Packers and two with the Los Angeles Rams, before a knee injury ended his career prematurely in the 1972 season. He was traded to the Rams along with the Packers' 4th round draft pick in 1971 in exchange for the Rams' 2nd round pick in 1971 (used to select Virgil Robinson) and a 1972 draft pick.^[1] Williams finished his career with 4,778 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns, 7 of which came on special teams returns. He averaged 16.4 yards per punt return and 27.5 yards per kick return. In his final season, he led the league in yards per kick return, averaging 29.7.^[2]

After his playing career was over, Williams worked a series of odd jobs, collecting junk, driving trucks, working as a bouncer and as a security guard. Later in life, he suffered from alcoholism, particularly after his wife died of a drug overdose in 1985. He was often homeless, sometimes sleeping out of his car. In 1988, he was arrested at a demonstration in front of the office of senator Alan Cranston, protesting cuts to public housing projects.^[3]

Williams died of heart failure on February 17, 1991, at the age of 45.^[4]

References

^ "Green Bay Swaps Williams". The Pocono Record. January 29, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-01-17 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Travis Williams Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
^ "Ex-Packer Williams Dead at 45 : Football: He set kick-return record in 1967 but battled homelessness and alcoholism after his career ended". Los Angeles Times. 19 February 1991.
^ "Travis Williams, 45, Green Bay Packers Star". The New York Times. 20 February 1991.

External links

[1] "Green Bay Swaps Williams". The Pocono Record. January 29, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 2020-01-17 – via newspapers.com.

[2] "Travis Williams Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

[3] "Ex-Packer Williams Dead at 45 : Football: He set kick-return record in 1967 but battled homelessness and alcoholism after his career ended". Los Angeles Times. 19 February 1991.

[4] "Travis Williams, 45, Green Bay Packers Star". The New York Times. 20 February 1991.

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Green Bay Packers Super Bowl II champions
12 Zeke Bratkowski 13 Don Horn 15 Bart Starr (MVP) 21 Bob Jeter 23 Travis Williams 24 Willie Wood 26 Herb Adderley 27 Claudis James 30 Chuck Mercein 33 Jim Grabowski 34 Don Chandler 36 Ben Wilson 40 Tom Brown 43 Doug Hart 44 Donny Anderson 45 John Rowser 50 Bob Hyland 55 Jim Flanigan 56 Tommy Joe Crutcher 57 Ken Bowman 60 Lee Roy Caffey 63 Fred Thurston 64 Jerry Kramer 66 Ray Nitschke 68 Gale Gillingham 72 Steve Wright 73 Jim Weatherwax 74 Henry Jordan 75 Forrest Gregg 76 Bob Skoronski 77 Ron Kostelnik 78 Bob Brown 80 Bob Long 81 Marv Fleming 82 Lionel Aldridge 83 Allen Brown 84 Carroll Dale 85 Max McGee 86 Boyd Dowler 87 Willie Davis 88 Dick Capp 89 Dave Robinson
Head coach: Vince Lombardi
Coaches: Phil Bengtson Jerry Burns Wally Cruice Dave Hanner Tom McCormick Bob Schnelker Ray Wietecha

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