Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
It didn’t take wide receiver D’haquille Williams long to get noticed in the CFL.
It was on the Edmonton Eskimos’ fourth play from scrimmage Saturday night at BC Place when quarterback Mike Reilly threw a sideline pass to Williams. The Edmonton rookie went high in the air to make the grab over veteran BC Lions’ corner Ronnie Yell, then held onto the ball when he crashed to the ground.
At first the play was ruled out of bounds but the decision was reversed on a challenge. Williams’ catch was good for 44 yards and helped set up an Eskimo field goal.
In the second quarter, Williams again went up in the air to battle for a ball and scored his first CFL touchdown on a 22-yard catch.
Williams ended the night with four catches for 110 yards and a touchdown as the Eskimos defeated the Lions 30-27. Not bad for a player whose football career looked to be over before it even got started.
“I just came into the game following the game plan,” said the 24-year-old from Los Angeles, known as Duke to his teammates. “Whenever the ball came my way I made plays.
“It’s a good feeling.”
“Plenty (of) nights, I went to sleep and cried. I really cried because I didn’t hurt myself, I also hurt my family, my friends, my teammates, coaches who gave me chance after chance.”
D’haquille Williams
D’haquille Williams celebrates with Brandon Zylstra and Adarius Bowman (The Canadian Press)
His performance didn’t come as a surprise to the Edmonton coaching staff or his teammates.
“He’s got all the talent in the world,” said Reilly, who has thrown to a lot of very good receivers during his six seasons in the CFL. “I have huge expectations for Duke.
“The sky is the limit for him. I’m excited he’s playing for us. He’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
Head Coach Jason Maas said Williams was impressive in training camp and the exhibition season.
“That’s what we’ve seen every day in practice for a month, so it doesn’t surprise us he can make those plays,” said Maas. “He’s a tremendous talent.”
Williams wasn’t expecting to make such an impact in his first game.
“I didn’t know I was going to get a 100 yards,” he said. “I just tried to make a play every time the ball was thrown.
“It was fun out there. We practice for this moment.”
Although he might not have shown it on the field, Williams “was hyped” over scoring his first professional touchdown.
“I’m not a really big celebration guy,” he shrugged. “Coach said ‘act like you’ve been there before’.”
When talking, Williams is soft-spoken and polite. He chuckled when asked about being called Duke.
“People don’t know how to pronounce D’haquille,” he said with a grin.
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At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Williams always had the size and reliable hands to be a professional receiver. Character, not talent, was the issue.
He attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, recording 118 receptions for 2,028 yards and 26 touchdowns over two years.
In 2014, Williams transferred to Auburn, where he led the team with 45 receptions for 730 yards and five touchdowns. He was suspended for the Outback Bowl for violating team rules.
In 2015, Williams had 12 catches in five games but was dismissed from the program after he broke a teammate’s jaw by punching him during an altercation at a bar.
At the NFL scouting combine, Williams said he had started counselling sessions.
“I just collected my mind because it was hard on me,” he said at the time. “Plenty (of) nights, I went to sleep and cried. I really cried because I didn’t hurt myself, I also hurt my family, my friends, my teammates, coaches who gave me chance after chance.”
Williams was overlooked in the 2016 NFL draft. He attended a mini-camp with the Los Angeles Rams but was released.
Williams caught the Eskimos’ eye at a tryout camp in Las Vegas. He was invited to training camp, where he continued to impress the coaching staff. In two pre-season games, he had six catches for 182 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown catch.
“Once he got to training camp, what you saw (Saturday night) is what he did every day,” said Brock Sunderland, Edmonton’s general manager and vice-president of football operations.
“We told everybody at the beginning of the season we’re going to play the best players. He proved to be one of our best wide receivers and he continues to show it.”
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Sunderland said the Eskimos knew Williams came with some baggage.
“Everybody deserves a second chance depending on what the baggage is,” said Sunderland. “What his stuff was, wasn’t overly horrible in our opinion. We thought it was worth the risk.
“Having sat with him and chatted with him, he was a guy that understands what he did. He was remorseful and just wanted to play football and turn his life around.”
Reilly said being in the Eskimos’ dressing room, and learning how to be a professional from someone like Adarius Bowman, will help Williams’ development on and off the field.
“We understand what it is to be an Eskimo, to come in and work hard and do the right things and be there for your teammates on the field,” said Reilly. “For guys like him, that come in, they don’t have any choice but to buy into that mentality.
“He’s going to be just fine. He’s got a great attitude.”
A person only gets one chance to make a first impression. You also don’t get many opportunities for a second chance. Williams wants to make the most of his chance with the Eskimos.
“This is a big opportunity to show everybody what I can do,” he said. “I just want to thank the Eskimos for bringing me in to showcase my talent.
“I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I’m just embracing the moment. I will remain humble and just get better than I was yesterday.”
