Miles Williams talks Cal Visit
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With the combination of great weather and a great atmosphere around campus, Cal would be hard pressed to find a better day to host defensive back target Miles Williams. It was Cal Day, and with a combination of great weather and atmosphere, it was the right time from the Mansfield, Texas DB.
"I really liked it a lot," Williams said, "I mean you can't pay for the weather, can't pay for the views, it's a lot, I like the direction that they're going in. You've got a first year head coach (last year) that was only supposed to win one game, and they won five games, and three games that they lost, they were within seven points. So you're giving yourself a chance at winning, I like that. I like coach GA of course, he's the type of DB coach I would like to play under, simply because he's been there. He can teach me how to perfect my craft even more, and he would always have my back."
With defensive back coach Gerald Alexander, who put out the offer to him back in late January, Williams and his dad went over some of his film and how he relates to some of Cal's scheme, whether his future is at corner or safety for the Bears.
"We sat in the meeting room, me, my dad, and coach Alexander," Williams said, "Went through some of what he tells his DBs, went through what some of how their scheme is, and watched some clips on me, and he got to feel me out in how I play the game."
Alexander has probably played the biggest role in Williams' recruitment, just by being available for the standout from Texas, and having played at the highest level.
"I talk to coach GA every week," Williams noted,"I like coach GA because I get to pick at his brain, he's been there, he's been in the league. Same with my uncle (former UCLA, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers DB Shaun Williams) I pick at their brains, so I can be that much better in high school. SO when I do get to college, I've got a leg up on people."
On the visit, Williams and his dad went on a campus tour, but what may have stood out the most was the view from where he'd spend a good chunk of time if he were to come to Cal, California Memorial Stadium.
"The stadium views," Williams said about what stood out the most, "that's crazy, the whole 63,000, right on the field, I could see that, I could envision that. When you're on top, you can see the whole Bay, Alcatraz, San Francisco, you can see downtown Oakland, that was pretty cool."
Williams also got to sit down with Justin Wilcox in person during the Saturday visit.
"We sat down with coach Wilcox," Williams said, "he's a good dude, he's down to earth, he cares about you, he cares about life after football. I like his mentality, like we're just going to keep moving forward, whoever is in our corner they're going to be in it."
As far as what Williams wants in his eventual school, the life after football portion plays a big role (he plans on majoring in business administration or hotel and restaurant management), along with relationships formed with coaches.
"I want a family vibe, I don't want to go anywhere where it's just business," Williams noted, "I know it's a business, coaches have to win or they get fired, but I want coaches who care about me and make sure I'm doing well on and off the field. I wanted to be coached hard, I don't want to be yelled at all the time and I don't want to be congratulated all the time. I want them to keep it even keel with me, keep it real with me. Then, my education is real important to me. My uncle went to the NFL, got lucky and played 8-9 years, but I know for a fact, once you're in college there's a very slim chance that you're going to the NFL. So I want my degree to hold weight, so when I do get to the real world, they'll be like, 'oh you graduated from so-and-so, let's see what we can do for you.'"
Williams, a native of Carson, CA, got a different taste of California, having never really come up to the northern half of the state, which is a bit of a different world, according to him.
"I just enjoyed the vibe," Williams said, "I'm from southern California originally, so I've never messed with Northern California, then I got offered by Cal, and I was like, 'oh I've got to take a visit up here.' It's a different vibe here, everybody's relaxed, laid back, and it's a cool vibe to be around."
And now that he's had time to digest his visit, Cal sits high on his list.
"Cal's high on my radar," Williams said, "you can't beat the conditions that Cal gives you, and if you can, I haven't found it, and that's just on the academic standpoint. Football, I know they're on the come up too. If I had to grade my visit, it'd be an A+."
