In my own words: Jaydon Williams
While there has been a trend in recent Arizona State recruiting classes to pursue taller players at linebacker, there is still no substitute for sheer speed in that role. After all ‘you can't beat, what you can’t catch’ is a statement that holds true for both sides of the ball. And it’s also an adage that perfectly describes incoming freshman linebacker Jaydon Williams, who's despite being one of the late arrivals to this ASU team is still a player that is one of the more intriguing newcomers on the squad.
Head coach Herm Edwards said of the linebacker during the signing day press conference: “The guy that will really grab your attention, and I’m putting a lot of pressure on him right now. Wait until you watch Williams play. when you turn the screen on; he is the fastest guy on the tape. It’s not even close.”
Defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce added: “If you watched any of his highlights or any of his games, he’s hell on wheels. He runs, and it will be interesting to see when he gets here because I’m gonna challenge my defensive backs to run with him. He's a guy that's very fluid, very wound tight as far as his ability to uncoil out of his hips and change direction.”
In our conversation Williams shared with us his football background, what intrigued him from day one about the opportunity to be a Sun Devil, and what are his personal expectations ahead of the 2021 season.
“I first started playing when I was six years old. I won my first championship at that age, I played running back, and my dad coached me. That year I had my first high scoring game, scoring four touchdowns. Even back then, I was faster than the other kids. Nobody could really catch me. Football was always my favorite sport to play, so I always took it seriously. But it even got more serious in my junior years of high school when I started getting scholarship offers. That’s when I knew I could do something big with this.
“I played varsity as a sophomore, and I started out playing mostly at wide receiver, but I was playing other positions too. In my junior year, we really didn’t have a quarterback, so I switched over to defense and was starting to put my hands on people since I really wasn't able to get my hands on the ball (on offense). So, junior year was really my first year playing linebacker. I’ve been a two-way player all my life, so it wasn't a hard transition, and I’m a very aggressive player anyway. And playing wide receiver really helped with my coverage skills at linebacker.
“The first conversation I had with an Arizona State coach was with Antonio Pierce. They offered me pretty early. He made me feel very comfortable when we talked. He told me that he liked how hard I get after the quarterback and that he liked my speed. Playing different positions in high school, I’m honestly just used to making a lot of plays I’m just a ‘see ball, get ball’ type of player. If I can get to the quarterback and get the ball, that’s what I’m gonna do.
“Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, UConn, Texas, Texas, Kansas State, and Kansas were all recruiting me hard besides Arizona State. I was ready to go away from home to play college football. It wasn’t hard committing to a school I didn’t have a chance to see first (in-person). I've been watching them on TV for a while and really liked watching the wide receiver who now plays for the San Francisco 49ers (Brandon Aiyuk). So, when I got my Arizona State offer, I was like, ‘Oh, Arizona State? I want to go there.’ I don’t like any cold weather, so I liked ASU. I knew them for their cool uniforms. Everybody knows them for their uniforms.
“When I talked to Herm Edwards during the recruiting process, he was showing me all the opportunities I would have coming to Arizona State and just made me feel comfortable like I was already part of the team. He’s a cool, straight up person and a very positive person. It was big for me that he coached in the NFL, and I know that if I came in and balled out at ASU, the NFL will come calling.
“When I watch their defense on film, I feel like I will fit in as a third-down pass rusher, and just tracking the ball down sideline to sideline. I talked to DBlack (Darien Butler) and Merlin (Robertson) and they said that it’s fun being a player on the team and that I have to come in and be ready to work, and that it’s good to be Sun Devil.
“I’m excited to come to ASU because this school looks like paradise with all the palm trees. I know they play a lot of freshmen and I’m a fearless player anyway. So I’m just gonna come in, work hard and be myself and they will play me wherever they think I can play. But I don’t have any pressure on me this year. Coach Pierce really made it happen for me to be a Sun Devil. He made me feel comfortable every time we talked and I want to ball out and show him why he thought I would fit in with this team.”
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