NFL Teams Make Moves with Former Clemson Standouts
By: Robert MacRae December 14, 2024

A couple of NFL teams recently made moves involving former Clemson Tiger standouts.

The Seattle Seahawks announced this week that safety K’Von Wallace was designated to return to practice.

It opens the 21-day practice window for Wallace, who was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 11 after suffering an ankle injury in Seattle’s Week 9 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers announced this week that they signed defensive tackle DeShawn Williams to their practice squad.

Williams has played in 10 games for the Panthers this season (one start), tallying 13 total tackles, a half sack and four quarterback hits.

Williams also spent 2023 in Carolina after signing with the Panthers ahead of last season. He posted 33 total tackles, seven quarterback hits and a sack in 2023 while playing in 16 games with 10 starts.

Originally an undrafted free agent in 2015, Williams has spent time with the Bengals, Dolphins, Colts, Bills and Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, to go along with three stints with the Broncos and his time with the Panthers.

The 31-year-old has registered 161 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks across 76 games (45 starts) in his NFL career.

A former Daniel High School standout, Williams played at Clemson from 2011-14, racking up 161 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, 24 quarterback pressures, four pass breakups, one recovered fumble and two blocked kicks over 53 games (17 starts) in his career as a Tiger.

As for Wallace, he recorded a forced fumble and 15 tackles in nine games this season before going on IR.

This past offseason, the Seahawks agreed to a one-year deal Wallace, who saw action for both the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans last season while playing in 17 games overall and making 12 total starts.

A two-time national champion at Clemson, Wallace was taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft following his four-year career as a Tiger (2016-19) during which he recorded 178 career tackles (5.5 for loss), 21 pass breakups, five interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles over 59 games (36 starts).

The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder played the first three years of his NFL career in Philadelphia before being cut by the Eagles and claimed off waivers by the Cardinals on Aug. 30 of last year. He was later released by the Cardinals in October and then claimed off waivers by the Titans shortly thereafter.

Wallace, 27, has totaled 168 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception over 71 games (19 starts) in his NFL career.

–Photo courtesy Dale Zanine-Imagn Images