The Tampa Bay Buccaneers today elevated safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ee-FAH-too, mel-eh-FAWN-woo) and running back Josh Williams from the practice squad to the active roster for the team's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Melifonwu (6-3, 210) was signed by Tampa Bay on July 29. He has appeared in 53 career games, making 22 starts, across five professional seasons between the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. In his career, Melifonwu has logged 120 tackles (seven for loss), 14 passes defensed, eight quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He appeared in 16 games with eight starts for Miami in 2025, producing a career-high 53 tackles while adding 1.0 sack, one interception and one pass defensed. He originally entered the league as a third-round selection (No. 101 overall) by the Lions in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Syracuse University (2017-20), where he appeared in 29 career games with 19 starts and tallied 88 tackles, 26 passes defensed, three interceptions and 1.0 sack. The South Grafton, Massachusetts, native wears No. 5 for Tampa Bay.
Williams (5-9, 210) spent the 2025 season with Tampa Bay after signing with the team as a college free agent on May 9, 2025. He appeared in three games for the Buccaneers and totaled four carries for 11 yards along with five kickoff returns for 129 yards (25.8 avg.). Williams played collegiately at Louisiana State University (2019-24), appearing in 60 career games and rushing 314 times for 1,494 yards (4.8 avg.) and 17 touchdowns, while adding 71 receptions for 600 yards and one receiving touchdown. A former walk-on who later earned a scholarship, Williams was a member of LSU's 2019 national championship team. The Houston, Texas, native wears No. 18 for Tampa Bay.
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