He’s a Reluctant Attention-Grabber

Being the nation’s best high school football player certainly has its perks, but D.J. Williams never has seemed intent on taking advantage of them.

Frankly, he would prefer to just play and leave the attention that goes along with competing and succeeding at such a high level to everyone else who clamors for the spotlight.

Williams, a soft-spoken sort, is happy doing his own thing without being bothered by outsiders.

Unfortunately, living in anonymity is virtually impossible when you play for a high school team that has won a national-record 100 consecutive football games.

If low-key is what Williams wanted, he and Concord De La Salle High were far from an ideal match from a personality standpoint. But on the field, things couldn’t have gone much better for both.

Williams, a linebacker for the California team in tonight’s CaliFlorida Bowl I at the Rose Bowl, isn’t into the hype or the glory or even the trash-talking that is so prevalent in games of this caliber.

He’s honest when asked what it was like dealing with relentless media attention, not only from local Bay Area newspapers, but the entire country. Not to mention the recruiting process that forced him to stop answering his phone after a while.

“I didn’t enjoy it at all,” said Williams, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder who was named USA Today’s national defensive player of the year.

“Like right now, I don’t like talking to the media. Usually at home after a game I tried to sprint into the locker room before anyone could get to me. I really don’t like talking to the media. I don’t know why. It’s just not my thing.”

Instead, Williams’ thing is making plays and he made more than a few at De La Salle during his three years on varsity.

“He’s probably the best I’ve ever seen,” De La Salle Coach Bob Ladouceur said. “Every game D.J. played he provided some sort of memorable play where you just went, ‘Wow!’ ”

Williams, who chose Miami over California for college, had 86 solo tackles, including 37 for losses last season for De La Salle. But as good as he is on defense, Williams can do just as much on offense, rushing for 1,974 yards and 30 touchdowns in 1999. In his career, Williams rushed for 4,276 yards and 64 touchdowns.

The recruiting process didn’t impress Williams either. He tired of reading what seemed to be the same letters over and over from coaches. Williams said he often received letters from every member of a coaching staff, trying to impress upon him how much he was wanted.

From a scout’s perspective, the attention is deserved for a player many say is the best they’ve ever seen. Williams has been compared to former Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, and some have even flirted with the idea that he could be the first player capable of making the direct jump from high school to the NFL.

Bernard Thomas, a 6-4, 230-pound defensive end from Mountain View St. Francis who played against Williams in high school and is a California teammate, said De La Salle and Williams are “the real deal.”

“He’s a great player and I can’t take anything from the man,” said Thomas, who was then asked what position suited Williams best. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just like anybody. Whatever you put your mind to, you can do it. That’s what type of player he is.”

David Wilson, coach of the Florida all-star team, is well aware of Williams and his explosiveness.

“He’s probably the consensus No. 1 player in the nation, so the buzz is definitely there on him since, of course, he’s coming to Miami,” Williams said in his Bobby Bowden-like drawl. “I’m not going to lie to you, we’ve done our homework. We’ve talked to different college coaches and found out what a great talent he is.”

Although Miami Coach Butch Davis has said it is Williams’ preference to play linebacker, Williams doesn’t hide the fact that he loves playing offense.

“Making a great hit counts,” he said, “but points are what really matter.”

Only Ohio State offered Williams a scholarship as a running back, but he never seriously considered the Buckeyes.

“I always want to play running back and I still want to play running back to this day,” Williams said. “But I was only really recruited as a linebacker. I enjoy playing linebacker and I’m going to do whatever the team needs.”

But Williams hints that if things don’t work out at linebacker, a move to the backfield isn’t out of the question, although he admits none of the Miami coaches have made any promises or even suggested a switch as a possibility.

“Most teams like to do whatever their player is most comfortable with,” Williams said. “If I were to talk to the coaches man-to-man, I’m sure they’d give me a shot at it.”

But first things first.

Although Williams says he doesn’t give much thought to the attention he receives, he is aware that Florida players likely are eager to match up head-to-head with him, especially since he is heading south this fall.

“It adds a little pressure now, because if the game ends and I didn’t do anything, they might say I’m a bust or whatever,” Williams said. “But I’m excited about it, to take the challenge.”

So apparently are his adversaries. During a welcome banquet for the two teams earlier this week at a local hotel, players were able to take part in a question-and-answer session.

At one point, a Florida player stood up, said he had a question, glanced around the room and wondered aloud, “Who’s D.J. Williams?”

The room broke into laughter.

“I thought it was a great compliment,” California Coach Gene Vollnogle said.

So what did Williams think of being singled out that way?

“I have no comment about that,” Williams said without a smile.

At least there’s no doubt he already knows how to handle reporters.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Facts

* What--CaliFlorida Bowl I

* When--Tonight, 7.

* Where--Rose Bowl.

* TV--Fox Sports Nets 2.

* Tickets--$10, general admission available at stadium box office.

* About the game--For the first time, all-star football teams of recently graduated high school seniors from California and Florida will play in what is expected to be a continuing series. This will be the only time the game is played during the summer as it will continue on an annual basis in December. The next game in the series is scheduled for Dec. 23 at the Coliseum. Some of the top players for California are: linebacker D.J. Williams (Concord De La Salle/Miami), defensive back Matt Grootegoed (Santa Ana Mater Dei/USC), quarterback Chris Rix (Santa Margarita/Florida State), linebacker Lee Webb (Crenshaw/USC) and wide receiver Tab Perry (Milpitas/UCLA). Some of Florida’s top players include: wide receiver Michael Jenkins (Tampa Leto/Ohio State), quarterback Dominic Dunbar (Bradenton Manatee/Louisville), linebacker Thomas Matthews (Ft. Lauderdale Dillard/Ohio State), linebacker Eric Moore (Pahokee/Florida State) and defensive back Preston Jackson (Tampa Hillsborough/Notre Dame).