Jameson Williams has already bet on himself and watched it pay off. He's ready to double down now that he's reached the NFL.
Detroit traded up to the 12th-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft solely to select Williams, a player Lions general manager Brad Holmes said later he "was just in love with." Holmes made the move with the belief Williams "can be a game-changer" for the Lions, who entered the draft in need of receiving talent.
Williams sees the same bright future for himself.
“I’m looking forward to it, for real," Williams said Thursday, via The Athletic's Chris Burke. "Football, it’s what I do. … They traded up for a reason, trusted me and my playmaking ability. We gonna put everything together after my rehab and we’re gonna show the world.”
Williams proved he was a big-time playmaker in his lone season of significant action, which he only received because he decided to leave Ohio State -- where he was buried on the depth chart behind fellow 2022 first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave -- for Alabama, where he quickly became a weapon in the Crimson Tide's offense. Williams caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first and only season with Alabama, teamed with fellow wideout John Metchie to help quarterback Bryce Young win the Heisman Trophy and powered the Tide to the College Football Playoff National Championship, a game that unfortunately ended early for Williams when he suffered a torn ACL.
Williams is still working toward returning from the injury, but has maintained he's ahead of schedule in his recovery and rehab. Once he's cleared to play, he'll hit the field ready to make a difference for the team that aggressively moved up to get him.