Mario Williams Mario Jerrel Williams ( born January 31 , 1985 ) is an American football defensive end for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for North Carolina State University . Williams was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft . He is a two - time Pro Bowl selection . College career . Williams attended North Carolina State University , where he played for the NC State Wolfpack football team from 2003 to 2006 . His stellar performance for the Wolfpack earned him the top spot in the 2006 NFL Draft . Draft analysts predicted that the Houston Texans would pick Reggie Bush as the first pick . However , in a surprising move on the night before the draft , the Texans signed Williams , meaning that Bush would not be the first draft pick . Professional career . Houston Texans . On October 1 , 2006 , Williams recorded his first sack and a half against Miami Dolphins ' quarterback Daunte Culpepper in the Texans ' first win of the season ( score 17 - 15 ) . Three weeks later , Williams sacked Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich and recovered a fumble in the Texans ' 27 - 7 upset . In the 2006 season , Williams accumulated 47 total tackles , 4 . 5 sacks , and 1 forced fumble . Early in the 2007 season , Williams played well , with an outstanding performance in the first game . Williams made five tackles , two sacks , and returned a fumble by Kansas City Chiefs fullback Kris Wilson for a touchdown . He had particularly big games against the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans , sacking quarterback Jay Cutler 3 . 5 times and quarterback Vince Young 2 . 5 times in one game each . His first sack of 2007 was of Peyton Manning . Before the game , Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy compared Williams to Colts Pro Bowl Defensive End Dwight Freeney . Williams finished the 2007 season with 59 total tackles and 14 sacks . The 2007 season was a year that Williams answered many of the critics that he gained because of his lofty Number 1 draft pick status . In 2007 , through 15 games , Williams accounted for 48 percent of the Texans ' sacks , a higher percentage than any other player . Williams was a first - team All - Pro selection by the Sporting News . Williams was not elected to the Pro Bowl game , but was voted an alternate to the game . In 2008 , Williams amassed 12 sacks and 53 tackles in 15 games ( all starts ) . This effort included three sacks and one forced fumble in the Texans ' first ever Monday Night Football game on December 1 , 2008 . For his efforts , Williams was selected for his first Pro Bowl as a starter and was a first - team All - Pro selection by the Sporting News for the second consecutive season . Williams was again selected to the Pro Bowl after the 2009 season . On December 15 , 2010 , the Texans announced they were placing Williams on injured reserve for the remainder of the season with an inflamed hernia . Williams had been struggling since September with injuries , though he still ranked in the top third in the NFL in sacks with 8 . 5 through 13 games . In 2011 , during week five versus the Oakland Raiders , Williams suffered a torn pectoral muscle while sacking Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell for his team - leading fifth sack . On October 12 , the Texans placed Williams on injured reserve for the second consecutive year , ending his season . Williams ' contract ended in 2011 and he became a free agent , able to sign with any other football team . Buffalo Bills ( 2012 - present ) . On March 15 , 2012 , after two days of negotiation with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent , Williams signed a six - year contract with the Bills . Williams ' new contract is worth up to $ 100 million , with $ 50 million guaranteed , which makes it the most lucrative contract for a defensive player in NFL history . On May 22 , 2012 , it was announced that Williams would be wearing number # 94 while with the Bills . The # 90 that he wore with the Texans is worn by veteran Chris Kelsay in Buffalo . Personal life . In 2012 , Williams debuted a honey - toasted oats breakfast cereal called " MariO ' s " , and the proceeds from the sales are intended to be donated to a Buffalo charity supporting children with cancer and their families . In 2011 , Williams donated five Chevrolet Camaros to the Houston Police Department , and in 2013 he made another donation of five Dodge Chargers .