Williams Has Second Thoughts

Mike Williams decided late last week to leave USC for the NFL, but the All-America wide receiver was reportedly vacillating Sunday after an intense weekend lobbying effort.

An announcement is expected early this week, perhaps as soon as today.

On Friday, sources said, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Williams had made up his mind to take advantage of the recent Maurice Clarett decision that allows underclassmen to enter the draft.

But sources said Williams became less certain over the weekend after USC Coach Pete Carroll launched a furious offensive to change the mind of a player who would be regarded as one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy if he returned for his junior season. The effort included a flurry of phone calls from former USC stars and evaluations passed along from NFL general managers saying he should play at least one more year of college football.

Carroll attended the Avengers’ Arena Football League game Sunday. Asked at halftime if he was confident that Williams would return, Carroll said: “I feel confident that we’ve given him a ton of information to make a decision. I won’t be surprised if he was back.”

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow and quarterback Matt Leinart also spoke with Williams on Sunday.

“He’s had a long, hard weekend,” Chow said. “I pointed out all the reasons he should stay.”

Said Leinart: “He said he’s just going to do what his heart tells him to do.”

Players have until next Monday to petition for inclusion in the draft, which will be held April 24-25.

Clarett, a running back who played one season at Ohio State, sued the NFL over its requirement that players must be three years removed from their high school graduation date to be eligible for the draft. On Feb. 5, a federal judge in New York ruled that the NFL was in violation of antitrust laws and ordered the league to allow Clarett and all underclassmen into the draft.

On the day of the decision, which is being appealed by the NFL, Williams said, “I always thought the rule was fine the way it was. So this ruling has nothing to do with me.”

USC coaches and players, however, expected Williams to explore the possibility of entering a draft that also will include Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Texas receiver Roy Williams and Washington receiver Reggie Williams, among others.

One agent, who asked not to be identified, said the depth at receiver this year should be enough to make Mike Williams stay at USC.

“I don’t think he should come out, but he probably will because guys just want to get to the league,” he said. “They think that’s the be-all, end-all.

“He should stay another year and play for a powerhouse, then come out. Not when there’s five 6-foot 5-inch Williams receivers coming out.”

On Sunday, several USC players said they were hopeful that Williams would return.

“When the judge cleared Clarett, I knew it was a possibility that [Williams] would go,” said cornerback Kevin Arbet, who last week received clearance from the Pacific 10 Conference for a sixth year of eligibility. “He has to do what’s best for him, but I hope he doesn’t go.”

Defensive lineman Mike Patterson seemed resigned to the possibility of Williams’ departure.

“You’d hate to see him go,” Patterson said. “It’s going to affect the team, but we can’t look at it as a loss. We have to go forward and start getting ready for next season.”

Fred Davis, a 6-4, 220-pound wide receiver from Ohio, would be in line to challenge for playing time if Williams turned pro. Davis is an incoming freshman who graduated from high school a semester early and is enrolled at USC.

“If he stays, it’s a good thing because you learn a lot from being around a guy like that,” Davis said. “It’s a bad thing if he leaves, because it hurts the team.”