DeShawn Williams has almost never had a place he could call home in professional football. Over his eight-year career, the 292-pound defensive lineman has notched seven stops with five different teams—including a brief stay in Canada.
But now, he’s really home.
On Wednesday night, the Carolina Panthers announced they agreed to terms on a deal with Williams—a Central, SC native. And the local kid couldn’t help but share his excitement shortly thereafter.
Williams attended DW Daniel High School in Central and went on to play his college ball at nearby Clemson University. After going undrafted in 2015, he was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals—who played him for four games in 2016.
From there, he’d bounce around a bit—spending offseason and practice squad stints with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders from 2018 to 2020. Williams then stuck back on in Denver, playing in 46 games between 2020 and 2022.
He now joins Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who headed the Broncos defense this past season. Oh, and he’s also fresh off a career year under Evero—where he recorded highs in starts (15) and sacks (4.5).
So, it’s about that time to cue up some Diddy. . .
Welcome home, DeShawn.
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Story originally appeared on Panthers Wire