In 2015, Pittsburgh Steelers superstar running back, Le'Veon Bell found out that he would be suspended for the first two games of the NFL season due to marijuana usage. This and the loss of LeGarrette Blount to the New England Patriots left the Steelers with no great options to start. Then, news broke that the Carolina Panthers were going to cut their former running back, DeAngelo Williams. Pittsburgh saw this opportunity and jumped on it.
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams (34) crosses into the end zone as Washington Redskins defensive back David Bruton (30) watches from the turf during the second half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Monday, Sept. 12, 2016.
Steelers' Williams Balls Out
Without Bell, many fans were nervous, but Williams would go and ball out for the Steelers. He would rush for 147 yards and have three touchdowns in the two games that Bell had been suspended for. But this was not where they needed him most. During Week 8 of the 2015 season, Bell was on a tear looking like he once did, but would then tear his ACL in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and would not be able to return for the rest of the season. It was here where Williams really stepped up to the plate and made it look like our offense didn't skip a beat.
Although he only played for two seasons with the Steelers, the impact he made was immense. Even though he had over 1,000 rushing yards during his time in Pittsburgh, many fans tend to forget that he even played there. One of the most forgettable things about Williams is his stint in professional wrestling where he was considered to have one of the best celebrity performances ever in the ring.
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Running back DeAngelo Williams #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs against the San Diego Chargers defense at Qualcomm Stadium on October 12, 2015 in San Diego, California.
Although it was a short-lived career in the wrestling ring, Williams made the most of this opportunity. On July 2, 2017, Williams made his debut and only match at Impact Wrestling's Slammiversary. He tag-teamed this match with former NFL player Quinn Ojinnaka who goes by the nickname "moose" in the wrestling world. They wrestled against Eli Drake and Chris Adonis. Pro wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer even made comments on how impressive he was.
"It was freaky how good he was. This guy probably has the potential to be one of the greatest wrestlers I've ever seen."
Bob Mulrenin / Global Force Wrestling
DeAngelo Williams and Quinn "Moose" Ojinnaka won their match at Global Force Wrestling's Slammiversary pay-per-view, but it appears that's it for Williams' wrestling career for now.
Although Williams went out and made a name for himself in wrestling, he made it clear that this was a one-time thing and that it would most likely never happen again. He did this one match more for his uncle who used to watch wrestling with him when he was younger. So, when this opportunity came, he thought more about his uncle rather than just having the opportunity alone.
"It was a one-shot deal. A lot of the things that I do, if not all the things that I do, has a meaning to it. I don’t do it just because the opportunity came."
Impact Wrestling
Former Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams wrestling for Impact Wrestling.
Although many football players have had antics outside of playing in the sport, is this one of the best? Could we ever see Williams back in the ring? Let me know in the comments below!
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