Dexter Williams: 'I Had To Start Over'
Dexter Williams said he sees himself as a totally different person.
On the field, yes. The junior running back from Winter Garden, Fla., has dropped eight pounds from last season and appears quicker than previous seasons.
But off the field, too. Last August, Williams was arrested along with four teammates and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. The incident put his standing with the team in jeopardy, though he did not miss a game.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” said Williams in his first interview since August 2016. “Just finally get a chance to adjust to being in South Bend and being at Notre Dame, I can see myself as a totally different person.
"I love who I’m becoming and I know I’m not done yet.”
Legally, the fallout from Williams’ arrest was relatively minor. He’s currently on probation, subjected to drug tests and not allowed to spend time in establishments where alcohol is the primary product being sold.
But among Notre Dame coaches and teammates, Williams’ reputation took a hit. In the months since, he’s gone about repairing that.
“I had to grow up a lot,” Williams said. “I had to gain the respect of my coaches, my teammates. Just begin to work even harder. I know I let a lot of people down, let my family down, let my coaches down, my teammates down. I just wanted to let them know that it won’t happen again. Also that I would make the right decisions from here on out.”
Williams ran for 96 yards on nine carries during Saturday’s Blue-Gold spring game. His first quarter touchdown run was perhaps the best individual play of the day — the 5-foot-11, 202-pounder took an inside handoff and out-ran the defense for a 38-yard score.
With his mother, Cheryl, in the stands rooting him on, Williams finished with the second-most rushing or receiving yards Saturday. Only junior receiver Miles Boykin (102) had more.
“It felt great just having a big game,” Williams said. “Being on the field with my brothers, having my mom here and having my coaches behind me. Coaches kept putting me in and having them trust me get the ball and let me go out there and have fun.”
Williams played sparingly as a freshman, rushing for 81 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Even last season Williams was typically Notre Dame’s third option behind Josh Adams and Tarean Folston, though Williams provided a spark when he did get the ball. He finished the season with 39 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns.
With Adams back and sophomore Tony Jones Jr. now in the rotation after a redshirt season, the Irish have a potent 1-2-3 attack in the backfield.
“Our expectation is high,” Williams said. “Just to be the best that we can be and have fun doing what we’re doing.”
Williams said he thinks about last August’s arrest every day. It could have been his last chance at playing at Notre Dame, he said.
“It’s on my mind daily,” Williams said. “I just continue to place myself around positive people and continue to stay positive.”
In hindsight, Williams said he’s using the arrest as a positive. He called it an “eye-opener” and said it’s helped him maintain focus on his own process at Notre Dame.
With the assistance of coaches, teammates and family, Williams feels he’s on the right path.
“I just constantly tell them to stay on me about everything,” Williams said. “Don’t let me just take anything for granted. I just love how they’re taking me back in and continue to motivate me and continue to push me.”
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