Steelers linebacker Vince Williams has retired from football after eight seasons, the team announced Wednesday.
"Vince Williams notified us today that he will retire from the game of football," said Steelers general Manager and vice president, Kevin Colbert, via the team website. "We respect his decision and want to thank him for his time with us as he consistently showed great character and leadership in addition to his contributions on the field. We wish Vince and his family all the best."
Williams played all eight of his seasons in Pittsburgh after being selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. In 121 regular-season games (69 starts), Williams compiled 479 tackles, 20.5 sacks, two interceptions and one defensive touchdown over the course of his career. Just 10 players from his 2013 draft class played in more games than Williams, who emerged as a team leader in Pittsburgh.
Williams, 31, retires off one of his more productive seasons in 2020, starting 14 games and registering 70 tackles, three sacks and 14 tackles for loss, which ranked fifth-best in the league. His announcement comes one day ahead of when the Steelers officially report to training camp for 2021.
