Wewa’s Williams to play for ‘Noles’

In front of the Wewahitchka student body, parents, friends, coaches, and teammates, Alex Williams signed an official commitment with Florida State University Wednesday morning,

Williams, who had a career record of 3,789 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns in the Gators’ run-oriented offense, signed a PWO (preferred walk-on) offer as a free safety, with the possibility of earning a full scholarship. 

The versatile student-athlete, last year’s Class 1A state weightlifting champion in the 199-pound class, plans to work toward becoming a chiropractor. 

Williams originally committed to Vanderbilt University prior to last year’s football season, but de-committed in August, turning down their offer of a full scholarship. 

Wewa Principal Jay Bidwell introduced Williams as “not just a great football player, (but also) a fantastic representative” of the school and the community. 

Bidwell noted that Williams not only has earned consistently high grades, but “he’s also a well-behaved and well-rounded student who plays the piano and has participated in school drama presentations.” 

Football coach and athletic director Bobby Johns described the past year as “an up-and-down journey” for Williams, who missed several games after suffering an injury against Port St. Joe in the third regular season game on Sept. 17. 

Prior to that, Williams had several colleges interested in him, including Florida A&M and Ole Miss. 

When he returned to action against Maclay on Oct. 8, “things started to turn,” said Johns. “College coaches are fickle, but even after his offers cooled, he never got discouraged.” 

“He just kept working,” said Johns. “He knew that God had a plan for him.” 

Another area besides the football field and the weight room that Williams continued to work in was the classroom. “We didn’t have to worry about whether or not he could qualify” because of his grades, said Johns. 

Williams admitted FSU was not even on his radar, but Johns received a “phone call on a (recent) Sunday afternoon from a coach at FSU, who asked if Alex was still available, and I said ‘Absolutely!’” 

Johns called Williams, whose response was “I just want to play football!” 

In his concluding remarks, Johns said that “It’s an unbelievable day for our school, a great day for our football program, but more than that, it’s a great day for Alex and his family.”

When it was his turn with the microphone, Williams thanked Johns for “being there, watching me grow, and really (helping) make me a man.” 

After saying words of thanks to his friends and family, Williams said “I just wanted to thank this little town (of Wewahitchka). Growing up in a small town has helped me understand the world better.” 

Happy with his decision to attend FSU as a PWO, Williams said “I really like how close it is, so I can keep my family close.”