D.J. Williams was the best player to wear jersey No. 55 for the Denver Broncos.
Williams was picked by the Broncos in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft out of Miami. He was named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team after recording 114 tackles, seven pass breakups, two sacks, one interception and one forced fumble in his first season.
Williams went on to spend nine seasons in Denver. He totaled 826 tackles (70 behind the line), 37 pass breakups, 30 quarterback hits, 22.5 sacks, 13 forced fumbles and two interceptions in 127 games (115 starts).
After playing for the Broncos from 2004-2012, Williams spent the final two years of his career with the Chicago Bears before hanging up his cleats.
Rick Dennison also deserves an honorable mention. He played linebacker for the Broncos from 1982-1990, primarily as a backup. Dennison appeared in 128 games, starting 52 times during his nine-year career as a player. Five years after hanging up his cleats, Dennison returned to the Broncos as a coach.
Dennison held various roles on Denver’s staff from 1995-2009, helping the team win two Super Bowls. After stints with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, he returned to the Broncos in 2015 and won a third Super Bowl as the team’s offensive coordinator. He went on to coach with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings before later joining the New Orleans Saints as a senior offensive assistant, his current role.
Dennison has had an accomplished career as a coach, but Williams arguably made a bigger impact as a player, so we’re giving D.J. the nod as the best player to ever wear jersey No. 55 in Denver.
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