Although it was an anxious wait, Tim Williams was happy with the team that selected him in the third round – 79th overall pick – of this year’s NFL Draft. Despite the connection that Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has with the University of Alabama, Williams’ excitement lies with a former teammate that he will share a football field with once again.
During the first session of rookie minicamp on Friday, the former Crimson Tide linebacker and pass rushing specialist spoke with Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun on how happy he is to be reunited with another ex-Tide standout in C.J. Mosley. Williams described the situation as “comfort.”
“I always looked up to him,” Williams said to Shaffer.
“When we were conditioning in the summer, I used to always run my sprints next to him. That’s one of the players I looked up to at Alabama. I always saw myself as, I want to be like C.J. on the field. His work ethic is through the roof. It feels very comfortable to have him here so I can continue to learn from him.”
Williams and Mosley had one season together in Tuscaloosa. While Williams was an incoming freshman in 2013, Mosley was an established senior. He led the team in tackles with 108, including nine for loss.
Mosley would also be credited with five pass breakups and nine quarterback hurries.
His effort on the defensive front earned him the Dick Butkus Award. After Mosley was taken in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Williams started to rise. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 244 pounds, he racked up 19.5 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in the last two seasons. Williams was a force on the Tide’s 2015 College Football Playoff national championship squad, as he recorded 10.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback pressures.
Stephen M. Smith is a managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
