Games Played/Started:

2006 (16/3); 2007 (16/9); 2008 (14/0)

Career Totals

46 games, 12 starts

Career Transactions

Originally drafted by Cleveland in the fourth round, 110th overall, in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Career Highlights

a career-high 17 tackles vs. Tampa Bay on Dec. 24, 2006.

2008

Game 1 vs. Dallas 9/7: Played LB in the nickel defense with 2 solo tackles…Also played on special teams…Game 2 vs. Pittsburgh 9/14: Played LB in the nickel defense and totaled 6 solo tackles…Was part of a defensive effort that held the Steelers to 281 net yards of offense…Also played on special teams…Game 3 at Baltimore 9/21: Played LB with 1 tackle…Part of a defensive effort that limited the Ravens to 273 net yards of offense…Also played on special teams…Game 4 at Cincinnati 9/28: Played LB in the nickel defense and totaled 6 solo tackles…Part of a defensive effort that limited the Bengals to 211 net yards of offense, including only 69 yards rushing, forced 5 turnovers and 3 sacks…Game 5 vs. N.Y. Giants 10/13: Played LB in the nickel defense and added 2 solo tackles…Game 6 at Washington 10/19: Played LB in the nickel defense and added 5 tackles, including 3 solo, and 1 TFL…Game 7 at Jacksonville 10/26: Played LB with 1 solo tackle…Part of a defensive effort that limited Jaguars RB Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to a combined 20 carries for 53 yards (2.7 avg.)…Also played on special teams…Game 8 vs. Baltimore 11/2: Played LB with 3 solo tackles…Also played on special teams…Game 9 vs. Denver 11/6: Played LB with 1 solo tackle…Also played on special teams…Game 10 at Buffalo 11/17: Played LB with 1 solo tackle…Part of a defensive effort that forced four turnovers…Also played on special teams…Game 11 vs. Houston 11/23: Played LB with 7 solo tackles and also played on special teams…Game 12 vs. Indianapolis 11/30: Played LB with 4 tackles, including 2 solo…Part of a defensive effort that limited the Colts to 215 net yards of offense, including 125 net yards passing, 3 offensive points and forced 3 turnovers…Also played on special teams…Game 13 at Tennessee 12/7: Played LB with 2 solo tackles and also played on special teams…Game 14 at Philadelphia 12/15: Played LB with 1 tackle and 1 QB pressure…Also played on special teams…Game 15 vs. Cincinnati 12/21: Inactive (knee)… Game 16 at Pittsburgh 12/28: Inactive (knee).

2007

Game 1 vs. Pittsburgh 9/9: Played LB in the nickel defensive package with 5 tackles, including 3 solo, and 1 TFL…Also played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 2 vs. Cincinnati 9/16: Started at MLB as the defense opened in the nickel package and added 5 solo tackles…Also played on special teams with 2 tackles…Game 3 at Oakland 9/23: Played LB with 3 solo tackles…Also played on special teams…Game 4 vs. Baltimore 9/30: Started at MLB as the defense opened in the nickel package and added 5 solo tackles…Also played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 5 at New England 10/7: Started at MLB as the defense opened in the nickel package…Ranked second on the club with 7 tackles, including 5 solo…Also played on special teams…Game 6 vs. Miami 10/14: Started at MLB as the defense opened in the nickel package and added 3 tackles, including 2 solo…Game 7 at St. Louis 10/28: Played MLB after starter D’Qwell Jackson (ankle) left the game in the 2nd quarter…Totaled 6 tackles, including 5 solo, and 1 PBU…Also played on special teams with 2 tackles…Game 8 vs. Seattle 11/4: Started at MLB as Andra Davis moved over to start at WLB for D’Qwell Jackson (ankle)…Added 8 tackles, including 4 solo, 1 TFL and 1 PBU…Also played on special teams…Game 9 at Pittsburgh 11/11: Started at MLB and led the team with 12 tackles, including 9 solo…Game 10 at Baltimore 11/18: Started at MLB and led the team with 13 tackles, including 6 solo, 0.5 sack for 1 yard, 1 QB pressure and 1 PBU…In the 2nd quarter, shared a sack with DE Orpheus Roye on a 2-yard sack of Ravens QB Kyle Boller…Game 11 vs. Houston 11/25: Played LB in the nickel defensive package with 3 tackles, including 2 solo, and 1 QB pressure…Part of a defensive effort that forced three turnovers, two sacks and limited Houston to only 77 net yards rushing…Game 12 at Arizona 12/2: Played LB in the nickel defensive package with 3 tackles, including 2 solo…Also played on special teams…Game 13 at N.Y. Jets 12/9: Played LB in the nickel defensive package and ranked second on the team with 11 tackles, including 9 solo, 1.5 sacks for 7 yards and 2 PBU…In the 1st quarter, shared a sack with LB Antwan Peek for 0 yards on Jets QB Kellen Clemens to force a 4th and 7 situation…In the 2nd quarter, sacked Clemens for a 7-yard loss to force a 2nd and 17 situation…Game 14 vs. Buffalo 12/16: Played LB with 1 solo tackle…Part of a defensive effort that gave the Browns their first shutout since 2005 (11/20/05 vs. Miami, 22-0 win) and held the Bills to 232 net yards of offense…Game 15 at Cincinnati 12/23: Started at MLB as the defense opened in the nickel package…Added 2 tackles, including 1 solo…Game 16 vs. San Francisco 12/30: Played MLB and added 3 solo tackles and a career-high 2 sacks for 12 yards…In the 4th quarter, sacked 49ers QB Chris Weinke for a 7-yard loss to force a 4th and 14 punting situation…Also in the 4th quarter, sacked 49ers QB Chris Weinke for a 5-yard loss to force a 4th and 11 punting situation…Part of a defense that limited the 49ers to only 185 net yards of offense, added 5 sacks and allowed only 73 net yards passing.

2006

In his rookie season with the Browns, promising young linebacker played in all 16 regular season games, including three starts…Finished the year with 37 tackles, including 25 solo, 1 sack, 2 QB pressures, 1 forced fumble and 2 PBUs…Filled in as starting MLB for the injured D’Qwell Jackson in the final three games of the season, recording a career-high 17 tackles vs. Tampa Bay on Dec. 24…Ranked fourth on the team in special teams tackles with 16…Played mainly on special teams for the first half of the season and saw increased time at linebacker during the second half of the season…Game 1 vs. New Orleans 9/10: Made his NFL debut by playing on special teams…Game 2 at Cincinnati 9/17: Played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 3 vs. Baltimore 9/24: Played on special teams…Game 4 at Oakland 10/1: Played on special teams with 2 tackles…Game 5 at Carolina 10/8: Played on special teams…Game 6 vs. Denver 10/22: Played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 7 vs. N.Y. Jets 10/29: Played LB and also on special teams with 3 tackles…Game 8 at San Diego 11/5: Played on special teams with 1 tackle…Left the game in the 3rd quarter (ankle) and did not return…Game 9 at Atlanta 11/12: Played LB with 1 solo tackle and 1 PBU…Part of a defensive effort that limited QB Michael Vick to run for 74 yards, pass for 197 yards and forced three turnovers…Also played on special teams with 3 tackles…Game 10 vs. Pittsburgh 11/19: Played LB and also played on special teams with 1 tackle…Game 11 vs. Cincinnati 11/26: Played LB and also played on special teams…Game 12 vs. Kansas City 12/3: Played LB with 2 tackles, including 1 solo…Also played on special teams…Game 13 at Pittsburgh 12/7: Played LB and also on special teams with 2 tackles…Game 14 at Baltimore 12/17: Started at MLB as Andra Davis moved over to WLB for injured D’Qwell Jackson (toe)…Led the team with 10 tackles, including 7 solo, 1 QB pressure and 1 forced fumble…In the 3rd quarter, forced a fumble by Ravens RB Jamal Lewis at the Cleveland 42-yard line and FS Brodney Pool recovered…Also played on special teams with 2 tackles…Game 15 vs. Tampa Bay 12/24: Started at MLB and tied for the team lead with a career-high 17 tackles, including 11 solo, and 1 sack for 4 yards…In the 2nd quarter, recorded his first career sack on Tampa Bay QB Tim Rattay with a 4-yard loss to force a 3rd-and-11 passing situation…Also played on special teams…Game 16 at Houston 12/31: Started at MLB and led the team with 7 tackles, including 5 solo, 1 QB pressure and 1 PBU…Part of a defensive effort that limited the Texans to 177 total net yards.

College Highlights

Appeared in 47 games with the Hurricanes, started six games, and recorded 146 tackles, 80 solo, 2.5 sacks for 27 yards, 12.5 TFL, 4 PBU and 1 forced fumble…Versatile player with experience at both the outside and middle linebacker positions…Also key contributor on special teams with 36 tackles…A 2005 Butkus Award semi-finalist…Played in every game at middle linebacker and recorded 54 tackles, 35 solo, with 3.5 TFL, 2 PBU and 1 recovered fumble…Helped the team rank fourth in the nation in total defense, allowing only 270.1 yards per game…Also gained 51 yards after taking a handoff on another fumble recovery… Recorded a career-high 56 tackles, 20 solo, 2.5 sacks for 27 yards, 8 TFL, 1 recovered fumble, 1 forced fumble and 1 PBU in 2004….In 2003, played in every game as a reserve inside linebacker and finished with 22 tackles, 16 solo, 1 TFL and 1 PBU…Saw action on the special teams coverage units…Played reserve middle linebacker with 14 tackles, including 9 solo in 2002 and also played on special teams…Was a 2001 redshirt and worked on the scout team.

Personal

Born Leon E’srom Williams in Brooklyn, N.Y. where he attended Canarsie High School…Earned All-American by Parade Magazine and named USA Today first-team All-America as a senior…Named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New York, and added Super Prep All- American and Elite 50 honors…As a senior linebacker, recorded 98 tackles, 12 sacks, four recovered fumbles and three interceptions…As a junior, played tight end and caught 20 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns.