DeAngelo Williams DeAngelo Williams ( born April 25 , 1983 in Wynne , Arkansas ) is an American football running back in the NFL who is currently a free agent . He played for the University of Memphis Tigers in college and was drafted 27th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2006 NFL Draft , and is the franchise ' s all - time leading rusher . Biography . College career . Williams holds the Division I NCAA records for most career all - purpose yards ( 7 , 573 ) and 100 - yard rushing games ( 34 ) . He also ranks fourth on the all - time NCAA rushing list with 6 , 026 yards , trailing only Ron Dayne , Ricky Williams , and Tony Dorsett . Williams was on the 2004 " Pro Football Weekly " All - America Team . In his final collegiate game , the 2005 Motor City Bowl , Williams helped Memphis defeat the Akron Zips 38 - 31 by running for a Bowl record 238 yards and scoring 3 touchdown s . His performance made him the top ground - gainer in college football in 2005 . He was also an All - America selection by the AFCA - Coaches ' s and the Walter Camp Foundation . Williams was a finalist for the 2005 Doak Walker Award , which was awarded to Reggie Bush . He came in seventh overall in the Heisman Trophy voting . In 2005 , he was named the inaugural winner of the ARA Sportsmanship Award , presented by the Awards and Recognition Association to the Division I football player who best exhibits sportsmanship both on and off the field . Professional career . 2006 NFL Draft . In January , Williams attended the 2006 Senior Bowl in Mobile , Alabama , an annual event in which college seniors and professional prospects are evaluated by NFL personnel in preparation for the NFL Draft . His height was officially measured at 5 ' 9 , which led some scouts to question his potential as an undersized back in the NFL . However , scouting reports soon placed him among the most impressive performers during the practice week leading up to the Bowl , and Williams punctuated the week with a strong , if brief , showing in the game itself , rushing for 31 yards on 3 carries and catching 2 passes for 28 yards . For the Combine , Williams trained at D1 Sports Training in Nashville , TN . On March 24 , at Pro Day on the University of Memphis campus , Williams ostensibly improved his draft stock even further with an exceptional workout . He ran his 40 yard dash in 4 . 40 seconds with the wind and 4 . 48 seconds against the wind . He also impressed in the short shuttle , the three - cone drill , and the long shuttle . In addition , he recorded a 34½ - inch vertical jump and a 10 - foot - 9 broad jump and caught the ball well in receiving drills . Carolina Panthers . Though at one point he was considered a top ten pick , with some projecting him as high as # 4 overall to the New York Jets , Williams saw his draft stock fall a bit in weeks preceding the draft , as many teams filled their needs at the running back position via free agency . On April 29 , 2006 , Williams was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 27th overall pick in the NFL Draft . He joined Reggie Bush , LenDale White , Laurence Maroney and Joseph Addai , among others , in a promising draft class at running back . Williams adopted the jersey number 34 , which he wore in high school the same as his hero at the time Ricky Williams . 2006 season . He played in the first five games of the 2006 season and looked promising as an alternative to DeShaun Foster in the Carolina backfield , compiling an impressive average of 5 . 3 yards per carry . He missed weeks 6 through 8 with a sprained ankle . In week 11 against St . Louis , Williams filled in for Foster , who had injured his elbow , and totaled 20 carries for 114 yards . In a Monday Night Football game against the Philadelphia Eagles , Williams started for an injured DeShaun Foster and managed 74 rushing yards on 17 carries and an impressive 101 receiving yards on 7 catches with a touchdown . He had 501 rushing yards and 1 touchdown on the year . 2007 season . In the 2007 season , Williams continued to backup DeShaun Foster . He had his first 100 yard game of the season in a win week six against the Arizona Cardinals . In the fourth quarter he clinched the win with a 75 yard run , the longest in team history , only to be tackled short of the goal line . On the very next play he ran the ball to the right corner of endzone for his first touchdown of the season . The next five weeks , he had low numbers due to limited playing time . In the final week of the season , Williams rushed for 121 yards on 20 carries while scoring 2 touchdowns . He finished the season with 144 carries for 717 yards and was ninth in the NFL in yards per carry ( 5 . 0 ) . 2008 season . Williams established himself as the starting running back for the Panthers prior to the 2008 season . During the 2008 season , Williams shared carries with 2008 draft pick Jonathan Stewart , though Williams received a majority of the work . On November 30 , 2008 , Williams set a franchise record for rushing touchdowns in one game by scoring four touchdowns in a week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers . In week 15 of the 2008 season , Williams was selected FedEx Ground Player - of - the - Week after a dominating performance in which he rushed for 186 yards on 19 carries and 2 touchdowns vs . Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football . On December 21 , 2008 , in a game against the New York Giants for the number one playoff seed , Williams rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns in an overtime loss . Williams did not fumble the entire 2008 season . Despite having a stellar season , he was unable to make the Pro Bowl over Clinton Portis , despite having more total yards , touchdowns , and yards per carry . This is mainly attributed to Portis outperforming Williams the first half of the season , as well as the large Redskins fanbase . Williams did , however , make the All - Pro team . He finished the 08 season with 273 carries for 1 , 515 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns , to go along with 22 catches for 121 yards and 2 more touchdowns . Williams credited much his 2008 success to a discussion with Vinny Testaverde and improved pre - game preparation . After the season , Williams was voted Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America ' s Most Improved Player of the Year . 2009 Season . In week 7 of the 2009 NFL season , DeAngelo Williams broke a 77 yard run against the Cardinals , breaking his previous record of 75 yards , which was also set against Arizona . The Panthers got their revenge from the previous year ' s playoff loss as they beat the Cardinals 34 - 21 . In a game against Tampa Bay , Williams had 152 Rushing yards as he scored the game winning touchdown in Carolina ' s 28 - 21 win . Despite missing all of 3 games and most of 2 more due to injury , Williams managed to rush for 1 , 117 yards and 7 touchdowns on 216 carries , as well as receiving for 252 yards on 29 catches , earning himself a spot in the Pro Bowl . He and Jonathan Stewart became the first running back duo in NFL History to rush for 1 , 110 yards apiece ( with Stewart rushing for 1 , 133 yards ) , as well as becoming the first Panther running back to rush for 1 , 000 in consecutive seasons . During the 2010 Pro Bowl , DeAngelo Williams scored a touchdown on a 7 yard run , the first by a Panthers player in team history . He finished the game with 2 carries for 6 yards and a touchdown , as well as a 15 yard reception . 2010 Season . Williams injured his right foot during the Panthers ' 24 October 2010 home win against the San Francisco 49ers . He did not play again before being placed on injured reserve on 17 November 2010 , with what was announced to be a mid - foot sprain . Williams finished the year with 361 yards and one touchdown on 87 rushes , along with 61 yards and no touchdowns on 11 catches . Williams became a free agent at the end of the season . It is reported that the Broncos are interested in signing him . Nickname Controversy . DeAngelo Williams tends to rely on his speed and agility more than his power , while his teammate Jonathan Stewart will use his power . This led to DeAngelo Williams nicknaming their rushing tandem ' Smash and Dash ' , which gained national attention after their 301 yard performance against Tampa Bay . Controversy ensued as Tennessee Titans ' running backs LenDale White and Chris Johnson claimed they stole their nickname , and that they had invented it first . LenDale White called Williams and Stewart ' Identity ' and ' Theft ' , and noted they had made T - Shirts with ' Smash and Dash ' on it . To determine a new nickname , DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart created a website , and allowed fans to suggest names . They eventually decided on ' Double Trouble ' , and have retained that nickname , despite Chris Johnson later renouncing the nickname . Career statistics . " Source : "