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LSU RB Josh Williams' journey continues as UDFA with Tampa

by:Jerit Roser•about 18 hours
NCAA Football: Texas Bowl-Baylor at Louisiana State
Dec 31, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers running back Josh Williams (18) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Baylor Bears at NRG Stadium. The Tigers defeat the Bears 44-31. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Josh Williams opened another chapter to his impressive football journey late Saturday as he landed his first NFL opportunity.

The veteran LSU running back reached terms on an undrafted free-agent deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to multiple reports.

With a loaded group of prospects at his position, Williams hadn’t been projected by many analysts to be among those chosen during the 2025 NFL Draft, which concluded Saturday evening.

But few people had projected the walk-on to have developed into a leader of not just the Tigers’ running back room, but entire program when he arrived to Baton Rouge in 2019 without a scholarship to begin his college career.

“Walking on campus with the underdog mentality, I already knew it was gonna be this type of journey by the way I came into LSU,” Williams told reporters following his eye-popping Pro Day performance. “I understand what LSU means to the state of Louisiana and the respect that they give the players here and the pride that they have for the team. So I knew that I didn’t necessarily want to be given any type of leeway or any type of chance. I wanted to earn everything I got. And I feel like as time has gone on, I have.”

Williams developed from a member of the scout team during the 2019 national championship run to a leader selected to wear the coveted No. 18 jersey designated for a player who shows championship characteristics both on and off the field.

He finished his career with 1,494 yards and 17 touchdowns on 314 rushes in 60 games, including a combined 17 starts the past three seasons, and also caught 71 passes for 600 yards and another score.

At Pro Day in March, the 5-foot-8, 196-pound back exploded for a 42-inch vertical, 10-foot-2-inch broad jump, 4.45-second 40-yard dash, 4.32-second shuttle and 7.03-second three-cone drill.

And while he didn’t hear his name called during the draft, Williams will have the opportunity to continue disproving doubters at the next level as he heads into the offseason with the Buccaneers.

“I want to show everybody what I can do on the next level and that I deserve to be there,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I’m very humble and very wanting to earn things.”

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