ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Denver's top draft pick, Sylvester Williams, signed a four-year, $7.6 million deal Thursday, completing an unlikely path from 19-year-old factory worker to NFL riches at 24.
Williams' deal includes a $3.9 million signing bonus and another $2.2 million in guarantees.
The 313-pound defensive tackle from North Carolina will vie for a starting job with veterans Kevin Vickerson and Terrance Knighton.
Williams started just one football game in high school in Jefferson City, Mo., and was working at a factory making radiator parts when he decided to give the gridiron another chance and walked on at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas.
After two years there, he went on to star for the Tar Heels, and Denver made him the 28th overall pick in last April's draft.
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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org
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