DeAngelo Williams, Like Marcus Allen, Is an Underappreciated Superstar

J.J. Watt is injured. Adrian Peterson is injured. Tom Brady is still in Sunday detention. Cam Newton is noticeably gimpy. Russell Wilson may be playing with a brace on his knee.

The timing couldn’t be better for Le’Veon Bell to make his return from suspension. The Steelers ceded control of the state of Wentzylvania to Carson Wentz and the Eagles last week, so they need reinforcements. And the rest of us need a little extra star wattage in these Watt-less times. 

Before we unroll the red carpet to its full length for Bell, let’s take a moment to recognize the man exiting the limelight in Pittsburgh: the ageless, perpetually underappreciated DeAngelo Williams.

There’s a lot of Marcus Allen in Williams. The rushing style. The “style” style. The durability, versatility and determination. The willingness to do anything for the team. And the strange tendency to end up playing second fiddle, only to rise to the occasion the moment he’s needed, then return to playing second fiddle.

Williams returns to the bench with Bell’s return. There has been talk of roles for both players, or even a two-headed backfield, but offensive coordinator Todd Haley isn’t a running-back-by-committee guy. In the five games when Bell was fully available last year, Williams rushed a total of 13 times and caught one pass. His “role” will be to stay rested and ready for Bell’s next absence.

Heading to the bench to quietly wait for the next emergency is a signature Marcus Allen move. No great running back in history spent more time standing on the sideline with his helmet under his arm.

Younger fans who only know the broad strokes of Allen’s career—Hall of Famer, Heisman winner, Raiders great, played forever, did this in the Super Bowl—may be shocked to learn that Allen only rushed for over 1,000 yards three times in his career. He was a committee back by age 26. First, he shared carries with Bo Jackson, which is understandable. Then, he spent several seasons getting benched behind over-the-hill acquisitions like Roger Craig and Eric Dickerson for reasons that went to the grave with Al Davis.

Allen moved on to Kansas City at age 33. The Chiefs first made him an often-used backup to former first-round pick Harvey Williams. Injuries and attitude problems swallowed Williams’ career. The Chiefs then drafted Greg Hill in the first round. Hill was younger and quicker than Allen. But Allen was better at football. In 1997, Hill started 16 games, rushed for 550 yards and scored zero touchdowns. The 37-year-old Allen came off the bench to rush for 505 yards and score 11 touchdowns.

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