Former University of Alabama tight end Michael Williams wasn’t always a tight end. He was recruited as a weak side defensive end out of Pickens County High School and stayed there for most of his first year on campus, which ended up being a redshirt year.
But as the team started preparing for the 2008 Sugar Bowl against Utah, Williams was given some curious instructions that changed the course of his career.
“I was going out for my scout team duties and the tight end coach, Bobby Williams, came up to me and said, ‘Mike, catch this ball,’” Williams said. “And I caught the ball. Then he said, ‘Now run this way and catch the ball.’ And I ran that way and caught the ball. And he said, ‘OK,’ and I thought, ‘what was the point of that?’
“Then we go through practice, end of practice. And when I come back the next day, I got a white jersey in my locker. And from then on, I’ve been playing tight end.”
Williams is still in Tuscaloosa, training for Alabama’s Pro Day, which will be his last chance to impress NFL scouts in person. Williams wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine last week, and even though he is a three-time national champion, he’s finding his road to the NFL to be a little steeper than he initially thought.
The NFL is experiencing a shift in offensive philosophy to a more wide open passing attack. Athletic tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and Vernon Davis are hot commodities. But at 6-6, 269 lbs., Williams isn’t exactly a prototypical NFL tight end anymore.
“However, I can [get noticed], that’s how I’m gonna try my best to do it,” Williams said. “You can watch the game film, but my role wasn’t to run down the field and catch 20-, 30-yard passes. That wasn’t my role on this team. I just played my role to the best. Whatever they needed out there, I did it.”
Williams still feels he can help an NFL team, however. He met with just about every team at the Senior Bowl in Mobile in January, where he caught a touchdown.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban told him he still believes there is a place for a blocking tight end in the NFL.
“I made a comment down at the Senior Bowl that I am who I am,” Williams said. “I’m trying to get better, I’m trying to do this and that. But I’m identified as a blocking tight end who can catch the ball, too. I’m not going to blow out a safety down the middle of the field, not blow past anybody like that. I use my body to get open.
“So for me, I feel like I’m more of a possession tight end. Anything that you need. You need first downs? I can get your first downs. You need touchdowns? I can get you touchdowns in the red zone. If you’re looking for a deep threat out of the tight end position, that’s not me. I’m more of your traditional tight end. I’m going to do the dirty work for you and give the quarterback a safety net.”
Williams will most likely be picked up by a team at some point – either in the late rounds of the draft or as an undrafted free agent. And that will be when the proving process will begin. And it’s a process that’s not unfamiliar for him.
Coming out of a 2A high school, summer conditioning was never that difficult for him, so his first workout with UA strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran was one to remember.
“The first day, I passed out,” Williams said. “Cochran picked me up and he looked at me and he was like, ‘Repeat after me: I’m gonna be great. I’m gonna be great. I’m gonna be great.’ It’s crazy how Cochran works.
“Because as soon as the clock hit 0:00 in Miami he looked at me and said, ‘What did I tell you?’”
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