Outside linebacker Myles Williams and tight end Jack Endries play on opposite sides of the ball, but their road to collegiate football bears more resemblance than one might think.

Williams, a redshirt sophomore from Woodland Hills, California, only started playing football in his freshman year of high school. He said he primarily grew up playing basketball, and started junior varsity football as a freshman.

“Once I started playing football, I knew that was what I really wanted to do,” Williams said.

Only getting two more years of high school football after that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in his senior year, Williams opted out of his last season as he was already committed to Cal.

Endries, too, had his eyes set on other sports during high school in Danville, California — specifically baseball and basketball.

“I played safety but I was second string, I didn’t play much, it wasn’t my passion for sure. I played baseball, basketball — loved those a lot more,” Endries said. “The year after (freshman year) I got moved to tight end and as soon as I played my first scrimmage on JV I got two touchdowns and I knew I loved it … So that’s really how it started.”

Endries never thought he would end up here — here meaning at Cal, playing college football. Aside from finding his passion in baseball and basketball originally, Endries said he never even thought he had a shot at this level of football.