Great players in the NFL are playing longer and longer these days. Is it unthinkable to believe that the face of the Buffalo Bills defense, Kyle Williams, can play until he is 40 years old?
Kyle Williams is an 11 year veteran for the Buffalo Bills. So many players have come and gone from this team, but there has been one constant. Kyle Williams. Williams passed the 40 sack mark for his career last season and has amassed over 345 tackles.
The 34-year-old veteran has been to five pro-bowls each coming in the past seven years. Fellow AFC-East contender, Tom Brady will enter the season as a 40 year old quarterback. Quarterbacks and wide receivers are having longer careers than ever because of the advances in medicine and game preparation.
Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker James Harrison will play as a 39-year-old this year. It has been rumored that he spends over $300,000 on taking care of his body each year. That is a small price to pay for someone making an NFL salary. Harrison isn’t the old guy at the end of the depth chart either, meeting the quarterback in the backfield for five sacks last year.
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It is tougher for a defensive player or offensive linemen to have a longer career because of the impacts they have on every single play. A quarterback or wide receiver can get away with just a few hits every game. If anyone can do it, why not Kyle Williams.
Kyle Williams will enter his 12th season this year, and the defensive line remains the best quality of the defense.
One reason Kyle Williams might be looking towards retirement? Golf. In an article ESPN’s Mike Rodak wrote, he commented on how well he can play.
"“Listed at 295 pounds in his LSU biography as a senior in 2005, Williams was considered small in the eyes of NFL scouts. But in the world of golf, he might as well be Goliath. The heaviest players on the PGA Tour for the 2016-17 season — Kevin Stadler and Tim Herron — are listed at 250 pounds, about 50 pounds lighter than Williams.”"
Could you imagine watching Kyle Williams step foot on a PGA Tour green at 295 lbs? His strength means he can hit the ball, but usually, guys like that don’t have the touch that the short game in golf requires.
"“Not long after returning from Buffalo one year, Williams — still sore from the 17-week grind of the regular season — played a round with Loupe and shot an even-par 72.“I remember him having probably like a 30-foot [putt] on No. 6 for birdie,” Loupe recalled. “Down the hill, sliding to the right. He made it right in the middle [of the cup].””"
This article is worth a ready if you’ve never heard of Kyle Williams’ hidden talent. The fact that he can hit a par on a golf course after returning from the 17-week grind of an NFL season is amazing.
Rodak commented on other NFL players that are skilled at golfing. He listed Derek Anderson, Matt Ryan, and Ben Roethlisberger. It is so weird to think about players this skilled at football being out on the golf course playing a game that requires so much finesse.
Kyle Williams will once again be a stud this season, and it will be interesting to see how much longer this continues. 40, here we come.
Do you think Kyle Williams can play until 40? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!