Jesse Williams ( American football ) Jesse Williams ( born November 2 , 1990 ) , nicknamed " Tha Monstar " , is an Australia n - born American football defensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League ( NFL ) . Williams played college football for the University of Alabama , where he was a starter on the defensive line for the 2011 and 2012 national championship teams . The Seattle Seahawks chose him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft . Early life . Williams was born on Thursday Island , Queensland , to Indigenous Australian parents , and raised in Brisbane , Australia . He grew up playing rugby league and basketball and did not start playing gridiron football until he was 14 years old . He first played football with the Bayside Ravens after he attended one of their practices to watch a friend play quarterback . In his first year as a player , Williams was named Rookie of the Year and made the Queensland Under 19 team that would go on to win Australian National Championships . For his efforts in the 2008 season , he was named Defensive Player of the Year with the Ravens . College career . Williams was originally recruited by University of Hawaii coaches and offered a scholarship to play for the Hawaii Warriors football team after a Warriors scout saw him play during the Australian National Championships . He verbally committed to play for Hawaii when he was 16 years old ; however , the NCAA clearing house said he was missing a mathematics and an English class and would not be able to enroll for the 2009 season . Williams later chose to enroll at Arizona Western College , after coaches saw him play in an exhibition against New Zealand while they were teaching at a football clinic . At the time , Williams was the first Indigenous Australian to receive a scholarship to play college football in the United States . At Western , Williams developed into one of the highest rated recruits out of junior college for the 2011 class . After receiving scholarship offers to play from over 25 schools , Williams enrolled in the University of Alabama for the spring 2011 semester , and began practice with coach Nick Saban ' s Alabama Crimson Tide football team . Williams started all 13 games of the 2011 season with the Crimson Tide at defensive end , and he made 24 total tackles and half of a quarterback sack during the course of the year . During the offseason , Williams gained a degree of internet fame when images of him bench press ing were posted to his Twitter account . Prior to the start of the 2012 season , Williams was named to the preseason award watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award , the Lombardi Award , the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Outland Trophy . He was also named to the ESPN . com Preseason All - America Team at nose tackle . For the 2012 regular season , Williams was a starter for Alabama as the nose guard in 13 of the 14 games , and he made 37 total tackles , one quarterback sack and blocked a kick during the course of the year . In their 41 – 14 victory over Michigan to open the 2012 season , Williams suffered a concussion that kept him out of Alabama ' s week two matchup against WKU . He returned to the starting lineup for their week three game against Arkansas . In their 52 – 0 victory over the Razorbacks , Williams also played on offense for the first time in his Crimson Tide career when he lined up at the fullback position late in the second quarter on a one - yard Eddie Lacy touchdown run . In the SEC Championship game against Georgia he blocked for an Eddie Lacy touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter after sitting out the third quarter with a knee injury . After the season the AP named Williams to the AP All - SEC Second Team . Professional career . 2013 NFL Draft . Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine , Williams , who reportedly bench - pressed a maximum of , vowed to break the 225 - pound bench press record of 51 repetitions , established by Justin Ernest in 1999 . However , he eventually came far short , recording 30 reps . Predicted to be selected as high as late in the first round , Williams was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft with the 137th overall selection by the Seattle Seahawks . He later signed his initial rookie contract with Seattle on May 10 , 2013 .