Sidney Williams (born March 24, 1942) is an American former diplomat and American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[1] Williams attended and played college football at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

After a contract dispute with the Browns in 1967,[3] he was traded to the New York Giants in 1967 for a draft selection, but was released a few weeks later.

On June 4, 1967, along with several other Black athletes and one Black political leader, Williams participated in what is now known as the "Cleveland Summit" or the "Muhammad Ali Summit" in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by a press conference, to express support for Muhammad Ali, who was to stand trial for refusing to submit to the military draft.

[6] Williams worked as a business developer with the Black Economic Union in Los Angeles, California, and served as a legislative aide for Los Angeles City Councilman David S. Cunningham Jr.[2][5] He then served as the United States Ambassador to the Bahamas under the Clinton Administration from 1994 to 1998.