WR Austin Williams Named First-Team Academic All-American

Mississippi State wide receiver Austin Williams was named a First-Team Academic All-American on Thursday evening.

Williams is the first Bulldog in program history to have earned the honor not once, but twice, and he is incredibly deserving of the recognition. While training full-time as a college athlete, Williams has been named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll every year since his arrival on campus in 2017. He received his undergraduate degree in finance in only three years and never wavered below a 4.0 GPA-- a feat that very few college students can claim, let alone a busy Division I football player.

However, Williams was equally as impressive through the ways he contributed on the football field this season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound redshirt senior from Ocean Springs was one of head coach Mike Leach's top receivers. Williams totaled 47 receptions for 543 yards and four touchdowns-- three of which came on three straight receptions in the first half against Tennessee State.

2021 was definitely the year in which Williams found his stride, but he has made significant contributions to the team since his arrival on campus. He was redshirted in 2017 but has seen playing time in every game since 2018-- a whopping 49 total appearances. Williams currently has 111 receptions for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns with no sign of slowing down soon.

Williams has one more chance to make a few more big plays this season when his Bulldogs take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in less than two weeks. However, his time in maroon and white likely won't come to an end there: Williams has said that he plans to use his last year of eligibility and return to the team for the 2022 season. The veteran can continue to impress State fans with his academic and athletic talents and hopefully carry his team above and beyond anything they have ever experienced before.

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