Player Spotlight: Atlanta Falcons’ Nick Williams
Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Nick Williams has been underestimated his entire life but hasn’t let that get in his way of living out his dream of playing in the NFL.
Williams played his college football at the University of Connecticut, a school known more for their basketball program than their football program. Williams attended UConn from 2009 to 2012 and 43 passes for 588 yards. Williams caught two touchdown passes in 2012, his only two receiving TDs of his college career and also spent time as return man.
Williams had a very solid career as the Huskies’ returner. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2010 and two punts for touchdowns in 2012 including a 100-yard kickoff return and an 80-yard punt return.
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Williams entered his name into the 2013 NFL draft and was rated as the 171st ranked wide receiver out of 342 possible entries. At his pro day, Williams was listed as 5-foot-10, 185 pounds and posted a 4.56 40-yard dash and leaped 37 inches in his vertical jump.
As expected, Williams went undrafted and was signed by the Washington Redskins in April of 2013. Williams made the practice squad with the Redskins out of training camp and was later promoted to the active roster in early November of 2013.
Williams made his debut against the Philadelphia Eagles in which he caught a pass and helped the Redskins convert a 2-point-conversion.
In 2014, Williams was signed to the Redskins’ practice squad once again, but was cut just nine days later.
After sitting out the entire 2014 NFL season, Williams was signed to the Falcons’ roster in February of 2015 and made the 53-man roster after a great training camp.
Williams has been active in all seven games for the Falcons in 2015 and has caught at least one pass in every game including a 3-catch performance against the Tennessee Titans en route to a career-high 43 yards.
Apart from having the wrong profile picture on NFL.com, Williams has shined in his minimal role for the Falcons. Williams’ solid start to the 2015 season hasn’t gone unnoticed and will likely get better with the recent injury to Falcons’ wide receiver Leonard Hankerson.
Continue to defy all odds, Nick. Channel your inner Julian Edelman and help lead the Falcons to the promise land. Rise up!