Position: Forward
Height: 6-3
Born: January 4, 1998
Birthplace: Clovis, New Mexico
Previous Club: Birmingham Legion FC
College: University of Kentucky
JJ WILLIAMS BIO
FC TULSA
2022
JJ Williams was signed by FC Tulsa ahead of the 2022 regular season.
2020-2021 – BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (USL CHAMPIONSHIP)
For the fourth time in his career, Williams was loaned to Birmingham Legion FC mid-way through 2020 from Atlanta United. He finished 2020 with five appearances for Legion FC, including a 90-minute shift in its playoff match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the first round. Williams also came up with two assists in his four regular season outings.
No longer on loan, Williams permanently signed with Birmingham for the 2021 season and had his best season since 2019, the only other year in which he made more than seven appearances for the same club in the same season. Williams finished with 18 starts and 27 total appearances, scoring five goals and logging six assists. His 80’ minute header at ONEOK field last season that tied the match for Birmingham and sealed a 1-1 draw against FC Tulsa on September 12 is still leaving FC Tulsa fans shaking their heads.
2020 – ATLANTA UNITED / ATLANTA UNITED 2 (MLS / USL CHAMPIONSHIP)
Atlanta United signed Williams ahead of the 2020 MLS season and he would make made one substitute appearance for Atlanta in the MLS is Back Tournament to resume play following the suspension to the season due to covid-19. Williams would then be loaned to the club’s USL Championship affiliate, Atlanta United 2, and made one appearance for the club before being loaned back to Birmingham Legion FC once again.
2019 – BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (USL CHAMPIONSHIP)
The Columbus forward was loaned to Birmingham Legion FC three separate times in 2019 to go along with his nine appearances for Columbus that season in MLS. In total, Williams made 22 regular season appearances for Birmingham and scored seven times. He also started both of Legion FC’s playoff matches that season and scored an additional goal in the club’s first round clash with North Carolina FC.
2019 – COLUMBUS CREW (MLS)
Williams was drafted by the Columbus Crew with the 18th overall pack in the 2019 SuperDraft as a Generation Adidas player and was loaned to the USL Championship’s Birmingham Legion FC multiple times throughout the season. In total, the rookie forward made nine appearances for Columbus in the MLS that season, earning playing time with Gyasi Zardes out for USMNT duty.
2018 – DAYTON DUTCH LIONS (PDL)
As he did before his other two previous college seasons, Williams joined the Dayton Dutch Lions in the PDL before his historic junior year at Kentucky. He finished the season with eight goals in 13 appearances, banging home seven goals in his last five appearances of the season.
2017 – READING UNITED (PDL)
Between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Kentucky, Williams joined Reading United. He made seven appearances for the PDL club and scored one goal in his limited campaign.
2016 – BIRMINGHAM HAMMERS (NPSL)
Before beginning his Kentucky career after graduating high school, Williams joined the Birmingham Hammers in the NPSL and made five appearances for the club.
COLLEGE
Williams attended the University of Kentucky from 2016-2018 and had a monumental career. He made 57 appearances in his three years with the Wildcats and scored 24 goals to go along with 15 assists, averaging more than one goal or assist per 90 minutes he played. In 2018, Williams had a historic junior season – Kentucky went into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed and would advance to the Elite Eight led by Williams’ 18 goals and eight assists that season. He set Kentucky records in goals and points that season, was named the C-USA Offensive MVP and Player of the Year, was named First-Team All-America, and was an MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist.
