Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams is a very thoughtful young man. That trait comes through when you listen to any press conference he gives as he shies away from cliche’s, answering with very in-depth responses. That’s somewhat unfortunate for us in the media, because as good of an interview as he is, Williams would prefer not to talk about himself at all.
“I think we have different leadership styles,” Williams says about his fellow wideout Adam Randall. “He’s more of the talker, and I’m more of the example, just by what I do. He gave us those shirts, and they say, ‘Wide Receiver U,’ and then under it says, ‘Prove It.’ We haven’t proven it these last couple of years. That’s the standard here.”
Williams and Randall may be correct about that national perception of Clemson’s wide receiver corps, as no Tiger was listed on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List released on Wednesday. That honor is given away annually to the outstanding FBS receiver, regardless of position. But Williams is confident his group is ready to return Clemson’s wide receiving position to elite status.
“Probably three, four, or five years ago, we were at that point where we were mentioned as ‘Wide Receiver U,” the former Dutch Fork standout commented on Wednesday. “So, I think, just as a group, we have to have the mentality to get back there. Just not to say it, but go and prove it this year.”
Williams and company will have the perfect chance to prove their mettle in the season opener against Georgia on August 31st.