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On Tuesday, Tramon Williams turned 38 years old. The longtime NFL cornerback who wore number 38 over three stints of various lengths of time with the Green Bay Packers, decided that the time was right to make a big announcement this afternoon: he is retiring from the NFL.
Williams is a tremendous success story, having broken into the NFL with the Packers as an undrafted free agent. Williams became a key player in 2008, his second full season, as part of a strong cornerback group along with Charles Woodson and Al Harris. By 2010, he was a full-time starter, and he made his only Pro Bowl appearance that year as the Packers went on to win Super Bowl XLV.
After three years away from 2015 through 2017, Williams returned to Green Bay for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, playing boundary corner, slot corner, and safety. After a late-season stint with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, he finished his career in green and gold, active for the NFC Championship Game after the Packers signed him during the postseason.
Williams ends his career with 34 interceptions in a Packers uniform, 30 coming in the regular season and four in the playoffs. Perhaps his biggest play was his pick-six of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in the 2010 Divisional Playoffs, which spurred the Packers on to a dominating 48-21 victory.
In true Tramon Williams fashion, he went out by thanking the organizations that employed him in the NFL, extending a lengthy discussion about the Packers organization and those who were important to him throughout his career:
To the greatest organization in the NFL, the Green Bay Packers, thank you for allowing a very raw athletic kid to live-out his dream. Thank you, to the late great Ted Thompson, for seeing the value in an Undrafted free agent. Thank you, Alonzo Highsmith, Zo to be exact,
— Tramon Williams Sr. (@HighRizer22) March 16, 2021
Zo to be exact, for finding me and pushing with everything you had to get me in. Thank you, Mark Murphy, and Russ Ball for always being so genuine. To my brother Joe Whitt, thank you for believing in me no matter what until this day! It means a lot!
— Tramon Williams Sr. (@HighRizer22) March 16, 2021
Thank you to all my teammates and coaches over the years. I got love for every one of you. Thank you to Flea and the training staff for keeping me on the field throughout my career. And to the best fans in the world, thank you for supporting me through the good and the bad.
— Tramon Williams Sr. (@HighRizer22) March 16, 2021
That's the true definition of a loyal fan base.
— Tramon Williams Sr. (@HighRizer22) March 16, 2021
Thank you Gutey, for bringing me back and allowing me to finish this journey in the green and yellow 38 jersey! That meant everything to me! No matter what jersey I wore, I always carried the G! #38 is clocking out at 38!
— Tramon Williams Sr. (@HighRizer22) March 16, 2021
Congratulations to Tramon on a fantastic career. We look forward to his inevitable induction into the Packers Hall of Fame in short order.