Andre Williams
Boston College running back Andre Williams joined Dennis & Callahan on Wednesday to discuss his candidacy as a finalist for the 2013 Heisman Trophy.
Williams, along with quarterbacks Jameis Winston (Florida State), Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), A.J. McCarron (Alabama) and Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), and running back Tre Mason (Auburn), was invited to New York City for the Heisman ceremony that takes place Saturday.
“I still don’t know if I’ve been able to wrap my head around it,” Williams said. “I don’t know what’s going to go down at the event and even what it’s going to look like. I’m really just excited to get down there and see what it’s all about, be around other great players and learn about the history of the award. I just feel blessed that I have the opportunity to be able to make it out there and I’m just so thankful to my teammates, and my coaches and my fans that have been supporting me along the way.”
The only Eagle to win a Heisman Trophy was legendary quarterback Doug Flutie in 1984. Williams said he’s been in touch with Flutie.
“Doug Flutie actually reached out to me first,” Williams said. “He didn’t really let me know what to expect, but he told me he’ll be down there.”
Williams did not receive the attention all season that Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, or Winston, this year’s projected winner, did.
“One of my friends yesterday he said, ‘[Andre], make sure you see what Johnny Manziel is like in real life for me,’ so I don’t know if I’m ready for him, but I’m looking forward to meeting him,” Williams said.
Despite maintaining relative anonymity across college football, Williams certainly deserves to be a finalist for college football’s most prestigious award. He led all Division 1-A players in rushing yards (2,102), and he also accumulated 17 touchdowns for 7-5 Boston College. His breakout season came as a surprise, as the senior had never eclipsed 584 yards in a single season in his first three years at BC.
“I don’t necessarily think there was anything I did physically that played a huge factor,” Williams said. “Just the fact that we came together so strong this year as a team, we were able to form a strong identity on the offensive side of the ball. My [offensive] line, they really came together this year, they’re really just embracing the fact that BC is historically O-line U.”
Williams, known for his bruising style of running, will enter the draft next April and, according to CBSSports.com, is a third-round prospect.
“I know that my role in the NFL is going to change and develop,” Williams said, adding: “I do pride myself on being able to finish games in the fourth quarter and get stronger as the game goes along.”
Between his Heisman weekend and preparing for the NFL Draft, Williams is also writing a book titled “A King, a Queen and a Conscience.”
“I would like people to see a different perspective on the way to think, the way to live your life in our modern times,” Williams said of the book.
To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page.