Jamal Williams arrived in San Diego as a second-round pick in the 1998 supplemental draft out of Oklahoma State, and it took him a little while to lock down a full-time role. He started only a couple of games in his first two seasons, then finally became the regular left defensive tackle in 2000. An injury knocked him out after just three weeks in 2001, but he worked his way back the next year and was starting again. When the Chargers switched to a 3-4 defense, they slid him to nose tackle, and that move turned out to be perfect.

At nose tackle, Williams became one of the best in the league. From 2005 through 2007, he earned three straight Pro Bowls, with First-Team All-Pro honors in 2005 and 2006. He was the big, sturdy anchor who occupied blockers, clogged running lanes, and let the linebackers and edge rushers fly around. The Chargers named him their Defensive Player of the Year three times during that stretch, and he was a big reason the defense ranked near the top of the league against the run in several of those seasons.

A triceps injury sidelined him early in 2009, and the Chargers released him shortly afterward. Across his dozen years in San Diego, he appeared in 148 games with 122 starts, finishing with 396 tackles, 13 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and one interception returned for a touchdown.

The franchise later inducted him into its Hall of Fame and added him to the 50th Anniversary Team, recognizing the guy who spent more than a decade making the Chargers’ defense harder to run on.