Burrow and Williams are expected to attend Ohio State and Northwestern, respectively.
Four years ago, not many would have predicted that Big Ten coaches Urban Meyer and Pat Fitzgerald would be interested in a National Signing Day event in Athens.
“No one really looks to Southeast Ohio to find good football players,” said Athens High School’s Trae Williams. “(Our past couple seasons) showed that we are actually legitimate down here.”
Wednesday, Athens seniors Joe Burrow and Williams will sign letters of intent to play college football in the Big Ten. The duo elected not to play for their fathers’ team at Ohio. Burrow’s father, Jimmy, is Ohio’s defensive coordinator and Williams’ father, Jesse, is the Bobcats’ defensive line coach.
Burrow, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound starting quarterback for Athens, led the Bulldogs to a state title berth and a second-place finish in the Division III Ohio High School Athletic Association championship.
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He has verbally committed to play for Ohio State under Urban Meyer and is expected to sign Wednesday.
“I think coach Meyer’s rapport with the quarterbacks had a lot to do with it,” Burrow said. “Several Heisman finalists, National Championships — you can’t turn that down.”
Burrow finished his senior season with 4,445 yards passing, 63 touchdown passes and a overall quarterback rating of 151.6. What makes Burrow, a four-star recruit, special is his dual-threat ability.
His height and length allows him to see over the trenches and release a tight, high spiral. He can sit in the pocket and present commanding arm strength as well as nicely placed deep balls.
Burrow can also extend the play by scrambling. Burrow said he tends to keep his eyes up field, to locate open receivers or utilize his long strides to evade tacklers.
His teammate and backfield mate, Williams, originally committed to Ohio, but has since decided to move away and commit to Northwestern. Williams, a running back and defensive back, was attracted by the academically heralded university and a power five conference.
Williams said as his senior season progressed, he gained more recognition and was seen by more coaches.
The speedy, 5-foot-11 Williams hopes to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Wildcats. His short bursts allow him to make quick breaks when the ball is in the air. Williams, who also was a defensive back at Athens, excels at busting offensive plays with explosive tackling ability from the secondary.
Both players will leave a special place in their heart for Athens.
“It was great to be able to come from a place where we didn’t have the kind of history of going to state and winning all those games,” Williams said. “It was great for the community.”
Burrow added, “I’m just happy with the way things went down over my career (in Athens) and I’m thankful that my coaches gave me the opportunity and worked with me to get me to the point I am at now.”
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National Signing Day will be special for the duo, as they are fulfilling their dreams of playing collegiate football.
“I can remember being 5 years old watching signing day, and now I’ll actually be a part of it to where I’m going to make a decision that will change my life,” Williams said. “I just really can’t wait until that moment and what it’s going to feel like to know that, finally, I’ll be getting ready to fulfill one of my dreams.”
@NKairys
nk596613@ohio.edu
