History of Trent Williams in Timeline

Trent Williams is a highly decorated American football offensive tackle currently playing for the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Oklahoma, earning All-American honors, before being drafted fourth overall by the Washington Redskins in 2010. Williams has achieved significant recognition in the NFL, earning eleven Pro Bowl selections and four All-Pro honors. He is widely regarded as one of the best offensive tackles in the history of the sport.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

July 19, 1988: Trent Williams Born

On July 19, 1988, Trent Williams was born. He is an American professional football offensive tackle.

Others born on this day/year

2005: Senior Year at Longview High School

In 2005, Trent Williams was a unanimous first-team all-district selection as a senior at Longview High School. Longview lost in the UIL playoffs with a 10-0 record and he was also on the field team as a shot putter.

October 2006: Starting Role at Oklahoma

In late October 2006, Trent Williams became the starting right tackle for the Oklahoma Sooners after an injury to another player.

2006: Teammates with Adrian Peterson

In 2006, Trent Williams and Adrian Peterson were teammates at the University of Oklahoma.

2008: Dominant Offensive Line

In 2008, Trent Williams started all 14 games as a junior and was part of a dominant offensive line for the Oklahoma Sooners, allowing only 11 sacks and becoming the highest-scoring team in the modern era.

2009: Preseason Ranking and All-American Nomination

In 2009, Trent Williams was ranked highly and named to the Outland Trophy watch list. Despite an injury, he was named an All-American.

2009: Played for Oklahoma Sooners

Trent Williams played for the Oklahoma Sooners football team until 2009.

July 30, 2010: Contract with the Redskins

On July 30, 2010, Trent Williams agreed to a six-year, US$60 million contract with the Washington Redskins.

2010: "Silverback" Moniker

At the 2010 NFL Draft, Trent Williams was introduced by league commissioner Roger Goodell with the moniker "Silverback".

2010: NFL Draft Prospect

In 2010, Trent Williams was considered one of the best offensive tackles available in the NFL draft.

2010: Drafted by the Washington Redskins

In 2010, Trent Williams was selected by the Washington Redskins fourth overall in the NFL draft.

2011: Offensive Co-Captain and Suspension

In 2011, Trent Williams was made an offensive co-captain for the Washington Redskins, but he was later suspended for four games after failing drug tests.

2012: Injury and Pro Bowl Selection

In 2012, Trent Williams suffered a bone bruise but was voted offensive team captain and selected for the 2013 Pro Bowl. He played injured throughout the season.

January 6, 2013: Incident with Richard Sherman

On January 6, 2013, after the Redskins' playoff loss, Trent Williams struck Richard Sherman in the face and was fined.

2013: Accusation Against Umpire and Pro Bowl Selection

In 2013, after a game, Trent Williams accused an umpire of swearing at him, leading to the umpire's suspension. Despite the Redskins' poor performance, Williams was selected for the 2014 Pro Bowl.

2014: Selected for Pro Bowl

Trent Williams was selected as the team's only player on the 2014 Pro Bowl team in the 2013 season.

August 29, 2015: Contract Extension with Redskins

On August 29, 2015, Trent Williams agreed to a five-year, $66 million contract extension with the Washington Redskins.

November 1, 2016: Suspension for Substance Abuse

On November 1, 2016, Trent Williams was suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, despite being named to his fifth straight Pro Bowl.

December 22, 2017: Placed on Injured Reserve

On December 22, 2017, Trent Williams was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury, despite being named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl.

April 2019: Cancer Diagnosis and Surgery

In April 2019, Trent Williams had surgery to remove a growth from his head diagnosed as dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a type of cancer, which he claimed the Redskins medical staff had dismissed as not serious back in 2013.

July 27, 2019: Placed on Reserve List

On July 27, 2019, the Redskins placed Trent Williams on the team's reserve list amid his holdout.

October 30, 2019: Reinstated and Placed on NFI List

On October 30, 2019, Trent Williams was reinstated by the Redskins but then placed on the non-football injury list after failing a physical due to post-surgical soreness.

2019: Contractual Dispute and Cancer Diagnosis

In 2019, Trent Williams held out the entire year with the Redskins due to contractual and personal grievances. A cancerous growth on his head, downplayed by the team but later determined to be life-threatening by private doctors, contributed to the standoff.

March 2020: Permission to Seek Trade

In March 2020, Trent Williams and his agent were granted permission to seek a trade to another team by the Washington Redskins.

April 25, 2020: Traded to the 49ers

On April 25, 2020, Trent Williams was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.

November 4, 2020: Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 List

On November 4, 2020, Trent Williams was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the 49ers and then activated two days later.

2020: Trade to the 49ers

In 2020, Trent Williams was traded to the San Francisco 49ers after his standoff with the Redskins.

January 1, 2021: Placed on Injured Reserve

On January 1, 2021, Trent Williams was placed on injured reserve after suffering an elbow injury against the Arizona Cardinals.

March 23, 2021: Contract Extension with the 49ers

On March 23, 2021, Trent Williams signed a six-year, $138.06 million contract extension with the 49ers, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

December 2021: Silverback Documentary Debut

In December 2021, a documentary called Silverback, which covered Trent Williams' comeback from a life-threatening sarcoma on his scalp, debuted.

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September 1, 2022: Inducted into Washington's Greatest Players List

On September 1, 2022, Trent Williams was inducted into Washington's Greatest Players list in honor of the franchise's 90th anniversary.

2022: Appeared in and Started Games for 49ers

In the 2022 season, Williams started in games for the 49ers and made the Pro Bowl for the tenth time. He was also named as a first team All-Pro selection.

2022: NFL Top 100 Ranking

Trent Williams was ranked 14th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.

January 29, 2023: Ejection During NFC Championship

On January 29, 2023, Trent Williams was ejected during the NFC Championship for slamming Philadelphia Eagles safety K'Von Wallace to the ground.

2023: Pro Bowl Selection and Super Bowl Appearance

In the 2023 season, Trent Williams made the Pro Bowl for the eleventh time and was named a first team All-Pro selection for the third consecutive year. He reached his first Super Bowl, which the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

September 3, 2024: New Deal with the 49ers

On September 3, 2024, Trent Williams finalized a new three-year, $82.66 million deal with the 49ers.

November 2024: Loss of Son

In November 2024, Trent Williams and his wife Sondra announced the loss of their stillborn son, after the loss of the son's twin earlier in the pregnancy.

2024: Sidelined Due to Ankle Injury

In the 2024 season, Trent Williams played in 10 games before being sidelined due to an ankle injury. It was announced that he would not return for the final two games of the season.