Minnesota Vikings DT Kevin Williams snubbed once again from earning an honor he’s more than deserving of
He would have become the 22nd Minnesota Vikings player and 27th overall member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Minnesota Vikings were hoping to have another player enshrined in Canton, as defensive tackle Kevin Williams just missed being elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He would have been the 22nd Vikings player and 27th overall member of the most exclusive club in the sport. This year’s class is only five members.
Williams has already been enshrined into the Vikings Ring of Honor. He was on his sixth year on the ballot after a tremendous career with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Saints. This was his first season as a finalist.
Kevin Williams snubbed for Pro Football Hall of Fame induction
One position that doesn’t get recognized enough in pro football is defensive tackle. They are often overlooked by edge rushers, and the Vikings had a great one in Jared Allen, who was just elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
Williams was quietly one of the best players in the 2010s at defensive tackle. He didn’t have a lot of publicity during his career, and it didn’t help that the Vikings were relatively quiet in that era. Even so, Williams made six Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams, including the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-2000s team. In fact, he’s one of just five players to have these kinds of accolades and not be enshrined.
What’s really interesting about Williams’ numbers is that his only double-digit sack seasons came in his first two seasons in the NFL. This also came after he held out with his rookie contract, because the Vikings selected him at ninth overall, two picks after they were scheduled to select, but they let the clock expire while trying to negotiate a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers jumped the Vikings to select quarterback Byron Leftwich and left tackle Jordan Gross, respectfully.
With 63.0 sacks and 113.0 tackles for loss in his career, Williams should already be enshrined, especially with those five All-Pro selections. Once again, a Vikings defensive tackle is overlooked.
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