The game changer: Hickory Ridge High grad Garrett Williams inching closer to NFL dream

Before Garrett Williams aspired to roam the secondary of an NFL defense, the Charlotte-born cornerback dreamed of leading big scoring drives on offense.

Entering his junior year at Hickory Ridge High School in Harrisburg, Williams was a quarterback competing for a starting job. But during a spring 7-on-7 tournament, a teammate’s injury completely changed Williams’ football fate.

“We didn’t have anybody to go in (at defensive back) and my defensive coordinator asked me if I wanted to try it out,” Williams said. “And then I went over there, and I think I finished with five interceptions on the weekend, and then after that I just stuck there.”

Williams’ switch to the secondary ultimately put him on a path to the pros.

The 5-foot-11, 192-pound cornerback parlayed his position swap into a breakout two-year stretch for the Hickory Ridge Ragin’ Bulls. Williams then became a standout in a Syracuse secondary that featured three future NFL defensive backs. And while a torn ACL stunted his final season with the Orange, Williams still put enough highlight-reel material on his college film to be considered a potential Day 2 pick in this year’s draft class.

With the biggest weekend of his football career on the horizon, The Observer reached out to Williams and his two most recent head coaches to gain a better understanding of the local prospect who appears destined for a major opportunity in the NFL.

All in the details

As a rule, Syracuse head coach Dino Babers won’t leave the practice field until all of his players are done working. During his four years with the program, Williams held up Babers’ schedule on more than a few occasions because of his desire to put in extra work.

“Everybody’s like, ‘Where the heck are you at?’ I’m like, ‘I was waiting for Garrett to get off the field from practicing,’” Babers said. “This is after he took every rep during the practice as the starting corner.”

Williams’ trademark work ethic has endured since his high school days.

When Sam Greiner took over the Hickory Ridge football team during Williams’ senior season, the cornerback’s attention to detail and desire to improve immediately stood out to the head coach.

“A lot of guys that have that much talent, sometimes they don’t work as hard in the behind-the-scenes-type deal,” Greiner said. “And he’s the complete opposite.”

Greiner, who now coaches at West Charlotte, believes Williams’ parents did a great job of establishing his time-management skills at an early age. Williams’ ability to make the most of his time has helped him improve on the football field, according to Greiner.

“The fine details (are) what make him so good,” Greiner said.

Along with his work ethic, Williams processes information quickly, according to Babers.

“Once you teach him something, he doesn’t make the same mistake twice, which means there’s enormous growth (potential), if you’re willing to communicate it,” Babers said. “But you got to tell him what you want. And he goes and does it — and he does it at a high level with not only intelligence, but also integrity.”

Williams’ quarterback background has also come in handy on defense. Since he understands the quarterback position, his ability to diagnose pre-snap looks has helped him make plays in the secondary.

“There’s always a game within a game on every play,” Williams said. “Every good quarterback, before they snap the ball, they’re trying to see what they can get ahead on — if they can see the pre-snap coverage and things like that. So when you move to defense, now you’re just looking at the offensive formation, down-and-distance, where they are on the field, what they like to do as a team — so it kind of helps you learn how to just think ahead.”

According to Babers, those pre-snap instincts have served Williams and Syracuse well through the years.

“He made some interceptions this year, where I felt he did a great job of reading the quarterback’s eyes,” Babers said. “And coming out of nowhere to change games around for us before he got hurt.”

Always the pro

Syracuse showed interest in Williams early in his college recruiting process.

Babers traveled to meet with Williams and his family in North Carolina, and the head coach was immediately impressed by the then-teenager’s professionalism and ambition.

“He always knew what he wanted to be, and that was an NFL football player with a degree,” Babers said.

Williams, who plans to complete his dual degree in retail management and marketing next offseason, says Syracuse stood out because of the program’s pathway to the pros.

When Williams broke down the Syracuse roster in high school, he correctly projected fellow defensive backs Andre Cisco, Trill Williams and Ifeatu Melifonwu as future NFL players. That trio’s success, even with Williams temporarily in the background, could lead to a rare spotlight for the NFL hopeful.

“I knew if I could get on the field with them, then I would have a chance to get on the radar of the NFL,” Williams said.

After redshirting his first year on campus, Williams became an integral part of Syracuse’s stacked 2020 secondary. He produced 54 tackles, a sack, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions in his first year of major action.

Following Williams’ breakout campaign, Trill Williams, Cisco and Melifonwu entered the 2021 NFL Draft.

Cisco and Melifonwu were selected in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions, respectively. Trill Williams went undrafted before signing with the New Orleans Saints and eventually settling in with the Miami Dolphins.

With the former upperclassmen trio in the NFL, Williams took over as a leader in the secondary as a redshirt sophomore. He collected 52 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 2021.

Williams was voted a captain heading into his redshirt junior campaign. As the top dog in the secondary, he got off to a hot start with 36 tackles, a sack, five pass breakups and two interceptions in just seven games. However, his 2022 season was cut short in late October due to an ACL tear in a matchup against Notre Dame.

“It sucked because it was the most fun I’ve had playing football — as a player and (from) a team aspect — since my junior year of high school,” Williams said.

The knee injury essentially ended Williams’ college career.

Before the season began, Williams was already eyeing the NFL. And even with a major injury to recover from, the cornerback wouldn’t be deterred on his way to the pros.

“I was 100% going to go pro,” Willliams said. “I knew going into this past season, that was going to be my last year of college football regardless.”

Eye on the future

Williams is still on the road to recovery as the NFL draft approaches. But his work ethic has helped him keep his focus throughout the process leading up to the big weekend.

“If I don’t like where I’m at — even if I’m fully healthy as a player and I want to get better — I’m going to keep working at it,” Williams said. “Right now, physically, obviously, I don’t like where I’m at because I’m not able to fully go. So I’m just going to put my head down and work until I’m able to be in that position.”

While Williams’ medical history might concern some evaluators, Greiner believes his intangibles and upside make him an intriguing prospect.

“You don’t have to worry about him off the field,” Greiner said. “You’re going to be able to put him into a program — he can play man, he can play zone — he can do all the aspects that you would need as a (defensive back). He’s going to be physical in the running game. He really has every attribute, but the best one of them all is his ability to get better every single year.”

Babers thinks Williams’ willingness to get involved against the run game could give him a boost in draft stock.

“He understands that he’s a cover corner, but he doesn’t want to be just a cover corner,” Babers said. “He is physical in the run game. And that’s going to be the thing that’s going to drive him up in draft status. That’s what’s going to get him drafted so high. Not only can he cover, but he actually supports in the run game — that makes him a complete defensive back.”

According to an NFC scout — who was granted anonymity by The Observer for competitive reasons — Williams is likely to be selected between the third and fourth rounds this weekend. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter agrees with that assessment.

“I love Garrett as a third- or fourth-round pick,” Reuter said. “If not for the ACL, I think he may have gone higher. So competitive, (Williams) plays the ball well. (He) could be a very good slot guy or play outside. He’ll be a real value for someone.”

No matter where and when Williams is drafted, the cornerback plans to bring his trademark work ethic with him. He also won’t shy away from the competition put in front of him — in training camp or on regular-season Sundays.

“I’m one of those people who really shines as the moment gets bigger,” Williams said. “Not a lot of people can say that.”

Observer data reporter Gavin Off contributed to this report.