Williams was the second overall selection in the
1951 NFL draft by the
Chicago Bears. Williams saw action in 8 games during the
1951 Chicago Bears season, going 11-for-34 with one touchdown pass, against two interceptions. In
1952, his second year in the league, Williams moved into a starting role for the Bears, starting 7 of the team's 11 games. By the time Williams returned from military service, the Bears had moved along to a new starting quarterback. A return was made to the team for the
1955 season, with Williams seeing action in 10 games in a reserve role. Williams' year was statistically unmemorable, going 15-for-40 passing (37.5% completion rate) with 3 touchdowns, against 5 interceptions. Williams retired from the professional game following the 1955 season. The
Pittsburgh Steelers were interested in bringing Williams back to the field, and team owner
Art Rooney gained permission from
George Halas and the Bears to discuss possible terms. Under the
reserve clause, Williams remained property of the Bears, although the Steelers hoped to convince Williams to return before working out a trade. Rooney spoke with Williams for an hour, but Williams stated that he did not wish to relocate on account of his growing family, which ultimately counted six children; Susan, Barbara, Anita, Robert, Mark, and James. ==Life after football==