Had Kyle Williams played in a larger media market or for a team that made the playoffs, he would be a household name across the NFL.
Although he's a long shot to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there shouldn't be much question about whether the tough-as-nails defensive tackle will be recognized one day on the Buffalo Bills' wall of fame inside Ralph Wilson Stadium. He has been a sturdy, reliable and productive player since Buffalo selected him in the fifth round, No. 134 overall, of the 2006 draft.
Yet to appear in a playoff game in his 10-year NFL career, Williams has been unfazed by the team's myriad coaching changes during his tenure. He's gotten better with age, earning Pro Bowl nods in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 before a knee injury cut short his 2015 season.
Williams is a team captain and brings a no-nonsense leadership quality to the locker room. Yet he's more than just a gritty football player from rural Louisiana who drives a pickup truck; teammates consider him one of the best all-around athletes on the team. There might be no better golfer or ping-pong player around the squad.
HONORABLE MENTION
Stevie Johnson, WR, Kentucky: Although his career in Buffalo was ultimately brief, Johnson produced three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2010 through 2012. The 2008 seventh-round pick with an off-beat personality isn't a star but is still a relatively productive player for San Diego.
Tom Sestak, DT, McNeese State: A member of the Bills' wall of fame, Sestak was a four-time all-AFL selection in the early 1960s. He was a 17th-round pick of the Bills in 1962.
Mike Stratton, LB, Tennessee: Also a member of the Bills' wall of fame, Stratton was a 13th-round selection in 1962 who was a six-time AFL all-star. He might be most well-known for his "hit heard 'round the world" against San Diego's Keith Lincoln in the 1964 AFL championship game.
