James Williams RT - Bears Madden Career 1995-2003 - Peak 89 OVR

James Williams came into the league in 1991 as an undrafted defensive tackle out of tiny Cheyney State, filling in for Steve McMichael and William Perry when the Bears needed a body up front. By November 1992 the coaches had flipped him to the other side of the ball, and from 1994 on he anchored the right edge of Chicago's line as "Big Cat."

He stayed a dozen years, all with the Bears, finishing with 166 games and 143 starts and the odd distinction of being the last active player from Mike Ditka's coaching tenure. His signature season came in 2001, when he made the Pro Bowl, earned second-team All-Pro honors, and won the Brian Piccolo Award for courage and dedication. He was later voted onto the franchise's 100 greatest players list, and by then he had blocked or deflected eight field goal attempts, a reminder of where he started.

In Madden he was already a solid 83 in the 1996 edition, climbed to an 86 by 2000, dipped to 81 in 2001, and then reached his rated peak of 89 in the 2002 game, his final NFL season. Not a bad arc for a converted defender who never heard his name called on draft weekend.