NFL · Biography
Trent Williams
Offensive tackle · San Francisco 49ers · active · OU 2006-2009
'Silverback': a 12-time Pro Bowler and one of the greatest tackles ever
Trent Williams was raised in Longview, Texas, where he played for the Longview Lobos and also threw the shot put. A three-star recruit, he picked Oklahoma over LSU, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
At OU (2006–2009) Williams became a starter at right tackle as a true freshman. In 2008 he was part of a dominant offensive line that helped the Sooners set the modern scoring record with 702 points behind Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray. He was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 pick (2008, 2009) and a consensus All-American as a senior in 2009.
Washington selected Williams fourth overall in the 2010 NFL draft. He played there through 2019, when he held out for the entire season after a cancerous growth on his scalp was found to be far more serious than first thought. Traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, he has been one of the NFL's best players ever since.
Williams is widely considered one of the greatest offensive tackles of all time, with 12 Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections, including three straight first-team nods from 2021 to 2023. As of October 8, 2026, he is an active left tackle for the 49ers, still going strong 17 years after he was drafted.