Razorback great Jim Williams
This is the latest in a series of features on the 2010 University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor inductees.
FAYETTEVILLE – To name one important member of Arkansas’ 1964 national championship squad is a tough task. But one Razorback’s tenacious play in the trenches of the 1965 Cotton Bowl against Nebraska, though long ago, is still remembered today. Jim Williams’ resume from his three-year UA playing career is lengthy and extends far past the three sacks he recorded in the Razorbacks’ 10-7 win over the Huskers, Jan. 1, 1965 in Dallas, Texas.
As a measure of the success Williams’ and his Razorback teammates brought to the University of Arkansas, the teams he was a part of went a combined 26-6 over three seasons. That includes a streak of 22-consecutive victories, the 1965 national title and two Southwest Conference championships.
Williams was named to the SWC first team in 1964 and 1965, for good reason. At defensive tackle for UA, he was dominant. Williams pulled in 86 tackles during Arkansas’ national title run and turned in a 69-tackle season in 1965, including 19 tackles in the Razorbacks’ 27-24 win over top-ranked Texas. The mark ranks among Arkansas’ all-team single game leaders. Overall, Williams made 173 tackles in his Razorback career.
At the conclusion of Williams’ time at Arkansas, he played in the Hula Bowl in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
TACKLES IN A GAME:29 Ronnie Caveness vs. Texas, 196325 Ronnie Caveness vs. Texas, 196424 Cliff Powell vs. Texas, 196923 Ronnie Caveness vs. Missouri, 196322 Ken Hamlin vs. Troy State, 200222 Quinton Caver vs. Alabama, 200022 Loyd Phillips vs. Tulsa, 196521 William Hampton vs. Oklahoma St., 197721 Ronnie Caveness vs. Baylor, 196320 Tony Bua vs. Georgia, 200120 Jermaine Petty vs. Ole Miss, 200120 *LaSalle Harper vs. UCLA, 198919 Caleb Miller vs. Kentucky, 200319 Ken Hamlin vs. Tennessee, 200119 Nick Miller vs. Ole Miss, 198419 Larry Jackson vs. Oklahoma St., 197719 Larry Jackson vs. Tulsa, 197619 Lynn Garner vs. SMU, 196819 Jim Williams vs. Texas, 196519 Loyd Phillips vs. Texas, 196518 Sam Olajubutu vs. Auburn, 200518 Lynn Garner vs. Texas Tech, 196718 Cliff Powell vs. Texas A&M, 1968*1989 Cotton Bowl
UA Sports Hall of Honor members are selected by a vote of former letterwinners in conjunction with the "A" Club. The official induction is Friday, Sept. 3, at the Springdale Convention Center. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased from the Razorback Foundation. For more information, call the Razorback Foundation at 479-443-9000.
