38-38-38: Tramon Williams Announces Retirement

On his 38th birthday and with 38 interceptions, Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams – jersey No. 38 during three stints with the team – announced his retirement.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On his 38th birthday and with 38 interceptions, Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams – jersey No. 38 – announced his retirement.

Williams went from undrafted free agent to Pro Bowl defensive back and Super Bowl champion during a phenomenal career filled with high-impact plays. From 2008 through 2011, Williams was tied for fourth in the NFL with 19 interceptions and alone in second with 71 passes defensed. On the interceptions list, Charles Woodson had 25, Ed Reed had 23 and Troy Polamalu had 19. Those three are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Williams is not a Pro Football Hall of Famer but he’ll be a sure-fire Packers Hall of Famer. Taking it further, from 2008 through 2014, Williams was tied for fourth with 27 interceptions (Woodson had 31 and Reed had 30) and No. 1 overall with 111 passes defensed.

“To the greatest organization in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers, thank you for allowing a very raw athletic kid to live-out his dream,” Williams said in a lengthy Twitter thread. “Thank you, to the late great Ted Thompson, for seeing the value in an Undrafted free agent.”

To the greatest organization in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers, thank you for allowing a very raw athletic kid to live-out his dream. Thank you, to the late great Ted Thompson, for seeing the value in an Undrafted free agent. Thank you, Alonzo Highsmith, Zo to be exact,

— Tramon Williams Sr. (@High_Rizer38) March 16, 2021

Williams continued on, thanking former Packers scout Alonzo Highsmith “for finding me” and former Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt “for believing in me no matter what.” He also thanked general manager Brian Gutekunst for bringing him back for the NFC Championship Game. Though he didn’t play, it allowed him to finish his career in a Packers jersey.

“I’m sure he could go out and play 70 plays for us,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said before the game. “He is by far one of the most athletic guys we’ve ever had here. Had some big plays over the years.”

Williams intercepted 34 passes in regular-season play, with 30 coming with the Packers from 2007 through 2014 and his return for 2018 through 2019. That’s tied with Don Hutson for ninth-most in franchise history. He added four interceptions in the playoffs to run his career total to 38. In the run to the Super Bowl in 2010, he had the clinching interception in the end zone at Philadelphia and the defining pick-six just before halftime in the upset win at Atlanta.

“Still one of my favorite moments,” Rodgers said as part of the accompanying video.

In 2019, he was the oldest starting defensive back in the NFL. He received one All-Pro vote for his work in the slot.

“I feel like I’m playing solid,” he said late that season. “I don’t like to put too much into it. I just like to get my job done. I feel like as long I’m playing winning football and doing what I need to do, that’s good enough for me. Whether the stats show it or not or things of that nature, it doesn’t really matter. Obviously, everybody wants to get their stats and to be recognized – which is a great thing and I’m no different – but I’m in the business of winning right now in my career. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to do what I can for the team, how they need me to do it. I have been playing well this year.”

Williams wasn’t just a quality player but a mentor. Taking what he learned as a young player working alongside Al Harris and Woodson, Williams later passed on his knowledge to the next group of corners. As he said in his Twitter video, “I feel like I planted my seeds.”

It's been a heck of a journey. I would like to first thank my Lord God for allowing me 38 years and molding me into the man I am today. Thank you for using me to inspire others on a daily. Secondly, I would like to thank my wife and kids, who sacrificed so much to keep my dreams pic.twitter.com/xp1MNRF2fR

— Tramon Williams Sr. (@High_Rizer38) March 16, 2021

“I actually stay after practice with some of the young guys now because they have questions about the things that went on in practice, how do they play certain things,” Williams said in 2018. “Guys are really trying to put things together, whether they get the reps at practice or they don’t get enough, we try to stay after practice and get those guys up to speed while we’re out on the field before we get back in here. Guys are definitely sponges.”

Players are eligible to be inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame five years after they retire.