Emerald City Sports Spotlight with Peter D

Big Cat Rises: The Fire Behind Leonard Williams’ Top 100 Nod

By Peter Duncan-Bey, Facts Newspaper SportswriterJuly 1, 2025

The NFL Top 100 list always has a way of sparking debate, celebration, and a good bit of side-eyeing around the league. But when Leonard “Big Cat” Williams came in at No. 99 this year, there wasn’t much noise — just nods of respect. This wasn’t a sympathy vote. This wasn’t legacy love. This was acknowledgment. From the locker room. From the trenches. From the very peers who know what it means to face the man across from you when the pads are cracking and the air is thin.

And make no mistake — Leonard Williams earned it.

Celebrating his tenth season in the league, Williams turned in what can only be described as his most dominant campaign to date. The numbers speak clearly: 11.0 sacks — the most among all defensive tackles — and 50 total pressures, good for fourth at his position. He posted a 2.5% sack rate (second only to Dexter Lawrence among DTs with 200+ pass rushes), and an eye-popping 87.1 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus — the highest of his career.

But Big Cat’s presence last year extended far beyond the stat sheet. It was his first full tour in Seattle, and under Mike Macdonald’s evolving defensive scheme, the veteran tackle looked completely re-energized. He didn’t just make the Pro Bowl for the first time in seven seasons — he reintroduced himself to the league as a force, a leader, and a culture cornerstone in a defensive unit finding its identity.

When asked about that identity during a recent sit-down post-OTAs, Big Cat didn’t launch into platitudes or buzzwords. He talked connection. Team chemistry. Veteran presence. In his words: “It’s about building something together… talent is great, but when a group connects, that’s when it gets scary.”

He made sure to lift up the guys around him, giving flowers to DeMarcus Lawrence for his leadership, and Brandon Pili for the strides he’s made during offseason work. Even in praising others, Williams showed just how locked in he is. He also hinted at his own evolution — focusing this offseason on diversifying his pass rush arsenal beyond his trademark bullrush and brute power.

But what really peeled the curtain back was when Williams shared why he still does it — what fuels him eleven seasons in. “Football gave me everything I have,” he said. And when he says everything, he means it. Williams grew up housing insecure — at times homeless — bouncing between couches and shelters. Football was stability. It was male role models. It was structure, distraction, and eventually, purpose. “It was never about the money,” he said, eyes steady. For Williams it was about the family, comradery, the foundation it provided.

That kind of revelation doesn’t just add layers to the mythos of Leonard Williams. It explains the fire. It explains the consistency. It explains how a guy with 11 years in the league can still be trending upward — on the field, in the locker room, and in the hearts of fans who root not just for the helmet, but for the story behind it.

So yeah, Big Cat’s No. 99. And while the countdown continues, and the NFL Films vignettes roll out each morning, what’s already clear is this: Leonard Williams isn’t just a top player. He’s a top presence. One of the last true warriors molded by adversity and powered by gratitude. A man who’s still writing his best chapters — and inspiring others with every snap.