The Recruiting Guy

Retired Rawleigh an adjustment for his brother

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, right, talks with Brian Williams, center, and Kim Williams while emergency personnel tend to Rawleigh Williams during a practice Saturday, April 29, 2017, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, right, talks with Brian Williams, center, and Kim Williams while emergency personnel tend to Rawleigh Williams during a practice Saturday, April 29, 2017, in Fayetteville.

DALLAS -- Highly recruited junior safety Brian Williams' appreciation of football has increased since seeing his older brother and former Arkansas Razorbacks running back Rawleigh Williams step away from the game.

Rawleigh Williams announced his retirement from football after suffering a second neck injury during the Hogs' spring game April 29. He first injured his neck in a game against Auburn in 2015.

The thought of also giving up football never crossed the younger Williams' mind.

"Not even a little bit. If anything, it pushed me to want it harder, want it more," he said. "It kind of boosted my drive a little bit more, just seeing how quickly football can be taken away, and not to take football for granted and cherish every moment I have to play."

Williams, 6-1, 190 pounds out of Dallas Bishop Dunne, grew up watching his brother become a standout in high school and on the college level.

"It's different not seeing my brother play every weekend and not seeing him run the ball, not seeing him play," said Williams, who visited Stanford over the weekend. "It kind of worked out well with me in wanting to see other colleges play every weekend and things like that, but I definitely do miss seeing him play on Saturday."

Rawleigh Williams is now a student assistant to University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Bret Bielema after interning with the Dallas Cowboys over the summer. His long-term goal is to be a general manager of an NFL team.

"He's doing fine now," Brian Williams said. "I definitely think he's in a good position to start his career with everything he's doing with the team."

While the Williams family always has been tight-knit, Rawleigh's injury strengthened the bond.

"Yeah, it definitely brought us closer," Brian Williams said. "Anytime something like that happens, it's going to bring us closer together. It definitely is a moment we'll never forget."

ESPN rates Brian Williams the No. 2 safety, No. 3 recruit in Texas and No. 19 overall prospect for the Class of 2019. He narrowed his list of more than 30 scholarship offers to Arkansas, Texas, Stanford, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Nebraska on Sunday.

At 12:01 a.m. Sept. 1, college coaches were able to reach out to junior prospects via Twitter. Williams woke up to more than 30 direct messages.

"Sept. 1 came and went, and I saw the schools that really wanted me," Williams said. "I already had an idea where I wanted to go, and it really hasn't changed much since Sept. 1."

Williams realizes the time and money that go into recruiting, which was a factor in his decision to trim his list now.

"I want to narrow the list down so it's not so hectic and nobody is getting led on and I'm not wasting anybody's time," he said.

He knows what he's looking for in large part because of seeing his brother go through the recruiting process.

"Through him, I've been able to see the whole football and academics and how it goes together in college," Williams said. "I know what I want from an athletic and academic standpoint."

Williams has great respect for Bielema, the Razorbacks program and how they have treated his brother in the aftermath of his second injury.

"He's definitely enjoying everything that's going on with Arkansas," Williams said. "The way they handled the whole retirement thing and the way his career ended and how they've treated him since then. He's loved it. I have nothing but respect for Coach B and the whole Arkansas football program."

His college decision likely is several months away.

"I probably want to make a decision before my senior season, probably next summer," Williams said.

Email Richard Davenport at [email protected]

Sports on 09/26/2017

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