**Dominick Williams Earns D3football.com Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year**
MARSHALL, Texas — East Texas Baptist University’s Dominick Williams has been honored as the D3football.com Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year, adding another prestigious accolade to his outstanding football career.
This marks the fourth major postseason award for Williams, who has already been named the ASC Defensive Player and Lineman of the Year, as well as earning a spot on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American Second Team. With this latest recognition, Williams continues to solidify his legacy as one of ETBU’s top football athletes.
Williams is the sixth ETBU football student-athlete to be named an AFCA All-American, contributing to the Tigers’ total of nine AFCA All-Americans overall. He joins Chad Glover (2005) as the only ETBU defensive linemen to earn this honor. Other ETBU AFCA All-Americans include Grady Clay (2023), Jordan Estes (2021, 2022), Richard Johnson (2017, 2018), Glover, and Scott Verhalen (2001, 2002).
The 2025 ASC Defensive Player of the Year and ASC Defensive Lineman of the Year, Williams led the ASC with 10.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, averaging 1.65 tackles for loss per game. He also ranked second in total tackles with 72 and third in tackles per game at 7.2. In addition, he blocked several extra points and one field goal during the season.
A three-time All-ASC First-Team selection, Williams earned two ASC Defensive Player of the Week awards and was named to the d3football.com “Team of the Week” in September. His 10.5 sacks tie him for the third most in a single season for ETBU, alongside Littleton Dean (2003) and C.J. Johnson (2017).
Williams had an impressive individual performance against Oklahoma Panhandle State, recording four sacks in one game. This feat is tied for the second-best single-game sack total in ETBU history, alongside Chad Glover (2004) and Darel Johnson (2000), and just half a sack shy of the school’s single-season record set by Johnson in 2017.
Over the course of his career, Williams finished third all-time at ETBU with 21 sacks. He also totaled 146 tackles and 32 tackles for loss, accounting for 177 yards.
Below is an official release from D3football.com on Williams’ performance:
“A senior from Houston, Texas, Williams finished with 72 tackles, 40 of them solo, in East Texas Baptist’s 10-game season. He was credited with 16.5 tackles for loss, including 10.5 sacks, while blocking three kicks and forcing three fumbles. ETBU finished with a 4-6 record.”
Williams now awaits the announcement of the D3football.com All-American selections, which will be revealed next week.
The entire ETBU community congratulates Dominick Williams on his exceptional achievements and looks forward to his continued success.
https://marshallnewsmessenger.com/2025/12/11/etbus-williams-named-afca-all-american-and-d3football-com-region-3-player-of-the-year/