This was a fun pick. I'd been tracking local players in NCAA for some time, and would watch Williams during the rare occasions when Utah State was televised (such as bowl games). When the RedBlacks had the opportunity to make a draft choice again after MacMillan, and Williams was available, I was very much hoping that they would take him and obviously they did.
The Utah State website has
a good bio of him, particularly of his pre-NCAA years. I'll copy that part here for future reference.
HIGH SCHOOL: Was a two-time first-team all-region honoree at Holy Trinity (Ontario) High School... Also participated in the all-Canada Gridiron Ottawa May Showcase, as well as playing in the Athletes in Action East/West Bowl, where he was the only junior selected, and then again as a senior... Was Holy Trinity's defensive MVP his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, as well as team captain all three years... As a junior, helped the Tornadoes win the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association Tier 2 football championship... Also played for the Kanata Knights and the Myers Riders of the Ontario Varsity Football League, where he set a league record for single-season tackle assists with 80 as a junior... As a senior, had 80 total tackles (35-solo, 45-assists) with 10 total sacks (5-solo, 5-assists) along with two forced fumbles and one interception... Was also the Riders' team MVP as a senior and was a two-time team captain.
Recently, the Salt Lake Tribune had
an article about Williams and his time with the program which included a mention of his selection by the RedBlacks. Have a read at that below.
The teasing comes with the territory for Connor Williams, though at first he fought it.
Arriving in Logan from Ontario as a freshman, Williams didn’t appreciate it when his new Utah State teammates egged him on by saying Canadians couldn’t play football. In the first few days of his freshman camp, he tried to show them all how wrong they were.
"I shut [up] a few people my very first few days: All I did was headhunt people," he said, laughing at the memories. "Actually, I got a reward for that in my first scrimmage from Kellen Bartlett. He’s going to kill me for bringing that up."
These days, the 21-year-old is comfortable with both where he’s from and where he is. The senior defensive end is coming off an all-WAC honorable mention season, and he’s one of the Aggies’ leaders on defense after topping the team with six sacks last year.
He still strides onto the field looking to prove himself every day, only now, he takes out his aggression on opponents.
...
Williams invites his reputation: The brawny lineman has the thick beard, tattoos on his biceps and a long, flowing mane that inspired his most well-known nickname: Conan the Barbarian.
At a recent team get-together, the Aggies had a look-alike event. When a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger in full movie get-up popped up on the screen next to Williams’ picture, he rolled his eyes. The name has just stuck.
"Honestly, I just call him Conan," Larsen said. "I can’t remember the last time I called him Connor."
Williams hasn’t always had long hair. He didn’t even always like football. Which was funny, because the sport has long been the family’s pastime.
His uncles Shane Ireland and Brian Wise both played in the CFL. Williams played, mostly out of a sense of duty — and because hockey was expensive — but he didn’t much like it.
That changed when he saw Utah play in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl against Pittsburgh. Wise, a former Ute player, introduced his nephew to the excitement of college football. Afterward, Williams was pushing and pushing to go to Utah before he got a late call from Gary Andersen.
"He told me he came up here to rebuild a program, it was going to be something special, and I wanted to be a part of that," Williams remembered. "At the last minute, I signed."
Mining the Canadian recruit turned out to be quite the coup for Utah State. Williams started all 13 games last year and enters this season as the most experienced lineman in the Aggies’ defensive fold. He’s one of the strongest players on the team, earning an Iron Aggie last year and getting some of the heaviest squats in the weight room.
...
For years, Williams kept his hair close-cropped. But not long after another football-playing uncle, Phil Ireland, died, Williams missed a haircut.
"My uncle played football, and he always wore his hair long," Williams said. " I thought maybe I’d honor him in a way."
There’s no doubt that Williams is making his hometown proud, or at least drawing its attention. During the offseason, Williams was selected by the Ottawa Red Blacks, a CFL expansion team that will start playing in 2014. They hope that Williams considers returning home to begin his pro football career after his senior campaign is over.
That’s far ahead of him at this point. Yes, he’s still proud to be Canadian. But for now, he’s just an Aggie.
"If I have a successful season, we’ll see what comes out of it," he said. "I assume one day when I have to get a real job, I’ll have to cut my hair. I’m just enjoying it for now."
