Aeneas Williams Aeneas Demetrius Williams ( ; ( born January 29 , 1968 ) is a former American football cornerback and free safety , who played with the Arizona Cardinals and St . Louis Rams of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for Southern University and was drafted in the third round ( 59th overall ) of the 1991 NFL Draft . Early life . Williams was born in New Orleans , Louisiana . He attended Fortier High School , where he played football on a team with three future NFL players . College career . Williams attended Southern University , the same school his brother Achilles attended . At Southern , Williams concentrated on his academics , not playing football until his senior year , as a graduate student . That year , he tied the NCAA Division I - AA record for most interceptions . Professional career . Despite playing only one year in college , Williams ' numbers impressed the then - Phoenix Cardinals enough that they selected him in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft , Williams quickly established himself with an exceptional rookie season , tying the NFL lead for interceptions . By 1997 , Williams had already notched four Pro Bowl appearances and had established himself as the Cardinals ' top cornerback , routinely covering the opponents ' lead receivers . In the 1998 season , Williams helped the Cardinals win their first playoff game since 1947 by intercepting two passes from Troy Aikman in a 20 - 7 win over the Dallas Cowboys , and added another interception in the Cardinals 41 - 21 loss in the divisional round . Despite playing mostly for bad teams for most of his 11 years with the Cardinals ( 1998 was the only time he played on a winning team during his stay in Arizona ) , Williams was recognized as one of the best cornerbacks in the league , making six Pro Bowls in all as a Cardinal . He is regarded as one of the best defenders and players in Cardinals history , as well as one of the greatest shutdown corners of all time . In 2000 , he tied an NFL record by returning a fumble ( caused by Mark Maddox ) 104 yards for a touchdown in a game against the Washington Redskins . In Week 3 of the 1999 season , Williams delivered the hit which ultimately ended Hall of Fame San Francisco 49ers ' quarterback Steve Young ' s career . Williams came in on a cornerback blitz from Young ' s blindside and scored a violent , but clean , hit on Young . Running back Lawrence Phillips was supposed to block Williams , but missed . This occurred on national television , a Monday Night Football game , and left Young unconscious on the field for several minutes . Young suffered a severe concussion that effectively ended his career ; he didn ' t play again for the rest of the season , after which the 49ers all but forced him to retire . In 2001 , Williams was traded to the St . Louis Rams on draft day in exchange for picks in the second and fourth rounds . Due to roster concerns , Williams switched to free safety . As one of the leaders of a much - improved defense , Williams got a chance to play in a play in the postseason for only the second time in his career . In the Rams divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers prior to the Super Bowl , Williams returned two interceptions from Packers quarterback Brett Favre for touchdowns and recovered a fumble . Then in the NFC title game , he intercepted a pass from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb , with 2 minutes left in regulation , clinching the game and ensuring the Rams ' berth in Super Bowl XXXVI . However , the Rams lost that game to the New England Patriots . After a lackluster season , in which he ended on the injured reserve list , Williams quietly retired during the 2005 offseason . Over his career he accumulated a staggering 12 defensive touchdowns ( 9 interceptions returned for a touchdown , and 3 fumbles recovered for touchdowns ) , and 55 career interceptions , cementing his place as one of the most dominating defensive backs of his era . He also recovered 23 fumbles and gained 1 , 075 total defensive return yards ( 807 from interceptions and 268 from fumbles ) . He was also a 4 - time All - Pro selection . His 268 fumble return yards are an NFL record . Life after the NFL . Williams was inducted into the Arizona Cardinals ' Ring of Honor during the 2008 - 2009 football season during halftime of the Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers November 10 , 2008 . On January 18 , 2009 , Williams was chosen to present the George Halas Trophy to the Arizona Cardinals after their victory in the NFC Championship game , resulting in the Cardinals first trip to the Super Bowl . Williams is currently the founding pastor of Spirit of the Lord Family Church in St . Louis . Williams made his final appearance in a football videogame in NFL Street 2 . Williams and his wife , Tracy , have daughters Saenea ( Aeneas spelled backward ) , 11 ; Tirzah , 9 ; Cheyenne , 3 and a son : Lazarus , 6 . He was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012 ; finalists were announced on January 9 , 2012 . On February 2 , 2013 , Williams failed to get voted into The Pro Football Hall of Fame .