"Auburn tried to get me to walk on, but I figured they were just trying to get me away from Alabama. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be a part of the recruiting class that Alabama had?"

Lawrence County vs. Hatton

It’s the kind of game that a tight end dreams about, especially when it comes against the arch rival.

"The Hatton game was the best of my career," Williams says. "I caught three touchdown passes that night."

In the first half, Lawrence County took the lead thanks to two TD receptions by Williams. He snared TD passes of 10 and 15 yards. But in the second half he made the most memorable play of his career.

Lawrence County had the ball at their own 43-yard line. Williams slipped out into the right flat and was open.

"All I was thinking was catch it and score. After I broke a few tackles it was a foot race. I must’ve been running on adrenaline because by the time I reached the end zone I was totally gassed. But it was a great feeling. When you beat Hatton in any sport it feels great."

The final score was Lawrence County 53, Hatton 14.

On The Recruiting Trail …

Recruiting was a Hassle

One day last December the phone rang in the coaches office at Lawrence County High School. It was an Ole Miss coach calling to offer Hunter Williams a scholarship to play football for the Rebels.

"It was unbelievable because I never dreamed that I’d play football in the SEC," Williams says. "I was fired up about it."

A week or so later Williams decided that he was ready to commit to the Rebels. He called the Ole Miss coach to tell him the good news.

"He said ‘great,’" Williams recalls. "He told me to mark my calendar for the weekend of January 23rd. That’s when they wanted me to make my official visit to Ole Miss."

In the meantime, Williams told the other schools that were recruiting him of his decision to go to Ole Miss.

"My family thought that it was great that I committed early because I wouldn’t have to go through all the recruiting hassle."

What Williams didn’t know was that the recruiting hassle was only beginning.

The week prior to the scheduled visit to Ole Miss, Williams was supposed to receive an official letter from the university inviting him to visit Oxford. The letter never came.

"My high school coach called Ole Miss and asked what was going on. They said that their needs had changed and they weren’t going to sign a tight end. Basically, they were saying that they didn’t have a scholarship for me. My coach was upset about the whole thing. I was really disappointed. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t let me know earlier."

Vanderbilt was the only other SEC school that had offered Williams a scholarship. But when Williams told the Vanderbilt coaches of his decision to go to Ole Miss, Vanderbilt gave the scholarship to another prospect. Suddenly Williams’ dream of playing in the SEC was turning into a nightmare.

"Alabama heard about the situation. Coach [Ivy] Williams and Coach [Ronnie] Cottrell called me and asked if I’d be interested in walking on. At first, I didn’t like that idea. But I took a visit to Tuscaloosa. I really liked it. I liked the coaches, the tradition, everything. So I decided that I would walk on at Alabama."

But the story didn’t end there.

"The Friday before signing day, Coach Tuberville called and said there had been a misunderstanding. He said that I was one of his top ten prospects and that I still had a scholarship to go to Ole Miss."

But ...

"If I was one of their top ten prospects then there should’ve never been a misunderstanding."

"While it was happening I thought that the whole ordeal was the worst experience of my life. But now I think that maybe it was good that it happened the way it did. Because, in the end, going to Alabama is a better opportunity."

Q&A

TI: I bet a few months ago you would’ve never thought you’d be walking on at Alabama.

HW: That’s right. It all happened so unexpectedly. But I’m very happy the way things have turned out and I’m looking forward to going to Alabama.

TI: Alabama and Auburn fans can’t imagine how someone could change their allegiance from one to the other. Have your feelings already changed?

HW: My feelings are definitely different now. But, even though I was an Auburn fan, I always liked Alabama as a school. The tradition at Alabama is unbelievable. Anyone would love to play there.

TI: Did Auburn try to get you to walk on?

HW: Yeah. Coach [Rodney] Allison called and told me that they would’ve offered me a scholarship if they would’ve known about the situation with Ole Miss. But Alabama contacted me right away and said that I could walk on. Auburn didn’t contact me until they found out that I was going to Alabama. I felt like they called me just because Alabama did.

TI: You played tight end in high school. But some people believe that you will grow into an offensive lineman in college.

HW: That’s possible. I’ve told the Alabama coaches that I really want to play tight end. But if it happens that I end up on the offensive line then that’s fine.

TI: What do you consider your strengths?

HW: My hands.

TI: What about your weaknesses?

HW: I haven’t been on a very good weight program. At my high school the weight program was non-existent until this year. I need to get a lot stronger. I’ll start hitting the weights as soon as baseball season ends.

TI: Do you think you’ll redshirt next season?

HW: I think so. I’m going down to Tuscaloosa early this summer and start working on the weights and running. I need some time to work on my strength and conditioning before I’m ready.

TI: Do you think Alabama will return to the top?

HW: If they keep bringing in the kind of players that it looks like they’re getting, I can’t see how they won’t be great again.

Please visit our sponsors.