Saints Assistant D.J. Williams Has the Pedigree to Become an NFL Coordinator, Head Coach
HOUSTON - D.J. Williams was primed to follow in the footsteps of his well-known father, Doug Williams, an NFL and HBCU legend. He was also an outstanding high school and collegiate quarterback and even played for his father at Grambling State University.
Most are familiar with the NFL career and legendary exploits of his father. Now a Washington Commanders senior advisor, Doug Williams was the first black starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl title and MVP award against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
D.J. Williams' career began to chart like his father's and slightly deviated his career by becoming an offensive assistant coach for the New Orleans Saints under former head coach Sean Payton.
Saturday, Williams will debut as Reese's Senior Bowl quarterbacks coach for the National Team.
"It's a great opportunity to be on this stage to run quarterback meetings and coach the quarterbacks. That's always been my passion to coach that position. I've always loved that position," Coach D.J. Williams noted.
Williams will join four New Orleans Saints assistant coaches on the Reese's Senior Bowl staff.
"Actually, we have Ronald Curry, the Saints' quarterback coach and passing game coordinator, to serve as the offensive coordinator for the National Team. Also, we have Declan Doyle, the offensive assistant and tight ends coach on the American Team, along with Corey Robinson, our defensive assistant, serving as safeties coach. Of course, I will be the quarterbacks coach on the National Team. So the Saints has good representation here."
Understanding the short time to learn his quarterbacks and prepare them for live game action will be a challenge Coach Williams embraces. "I think that's always the most important thing as a coach. I always want to give my all to the players. And in these three or four days leading up to the game on Saturday, I want to help these guys get better within these short couple of days," Williams mentioned.
The National Team quarterbacks include Louisville's Malik Cunningham, BYU's Jaren Hall, and Jake Haener from Fresno State University. Ronald Curry and Williams work together in the New Orleans offense are well-acquainted with the schemes they want to install for the National Team.
"It's all the basic offense I know schematically [from the Saints]. Within the meetings and interaction with them, I'll get to see their Football IQ, how they process, and how they go about their work throughout this week. I'll prepare by going through my game plan notes, watching those guys, and reaching out to have a good conversation with them before they even get here."
As an HBCU star, D.J. developed into an outstanding quarterback under his father's tutelage at Grambling State University long before the Deion and Shedeur Sanders connection at Jackson State University. "I'm proud of D.J. being selected to coach at the Senior Bowl," Doug Williams told HBCU Legends.
The younger Williams proudly honors his HBCU pedigree, noting, "there's a lot of pride when you show up to these types of events, and you're an HBCU grad because you know you're in the minority. So it's a great deal of pride when you come here, you have to represent. Because you almost feel like you're here for every HBCU. Whether you went to Grambling, Southern, North Carolina A&T, or Bethune-Cookman, once you come here, it's all just an HBCU family. It's funny because those guys tend to stick together because they understand each other's plight."
Aubrey Miller Jr. (Jackson State) and Isaiah Land (Florida A&M) were the only two HBCU student-athletes invited to the Reese's Senior Bowl. One of last season's successful HBCU players drafted was Ja'Tyre Carter of Southern, who the Chicago Bears selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Big names like All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard (South Carolina State) have participated in the annual all-star event.
Several HBCU assistant coaches are members of the 2023 Minority Coaching Fellowship at the Senior Bowl.
The coaches in the program are as follows:
- Courtney Coard - NCCU Defensive Coordinator
- Pepe Pearson - Tennessee State Running Backs Coach
- Mark Frederick - Prairie View A&M Offensive Coordinator
- John Simon - Grambling Offensive Coordinator
Our conversation left me believing New Orleans has a hidden coaching gem in D.J. Williams. Consider that he has learned from an offensive genius named Sean Payton since 2019. Williams grew up under the Bayou Bullet, Doug Williams. He heard tales from the family's close friend James "Shack" Harris, the first black quarterback to open an NFL season as a starter for the Los Angeles Rams and win an NFL Pro Bowl MVP award. In addition, he's met and learned from some of the greatest football players ever to grace the professional gridiron. It's about relationships that have prepared Coach Williams for a more prominent role if given the opportunity.
"The foundation is always relationships, right? My dad always taught me that. It's the foundation when you coach these young men through relationships. We only have a short time this week. But I will cultivate that relationship as best I can and try to get the best out of these guys during this week. That'd be huge."
Keep your eye on Coach D.J. Williams. Will he have a promising future in the NFL or along a collegiate sideline?
We shall see.