2022 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Marcus Williams Jr., RB, Louisiana Tech

• Name: Marcus Williams Jr.
• Position: Running Back
• Height: 5’10
• Weight: 204
• College: App State/Louisiana Tech

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2022 NFL Draft? 

• As a top prospect running back, I have strength to run through tackles on the edge to move the chains, elusive speed to get to the end zone, and master agility to burst in and out of the hole. All of these traits have allowed me to deliver 100-yard+ games, and touchdowns. Both on the field and off the field, I am a committed, integral and reliable player.

At what age were you first interested in the sport of football?

• Growing up, I was faster and more athletic than my peers and siblings. With that, my mother signed me up for flag football at 7. At about 10 years old, I started tackle football and never looked back.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

• Having endured several coaching changes, I have had to adapt to different playbook strategies and techniques. This has had an impact on my ability to read defenses and make quick adjustments to identify opportunities to gain yardage and score consistently. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

• The Boys & Girls Club. For me, it was a safe place to go and allowed me to be involved in sports and meet friends. Our family has always been a part. My sister and brother both worked there as well. I have seen the benefit of having them in communities.

What is the best advice you have ever received? 

• Learning is a continuous process.

Who was your childhood hero? 

• My grandfather has always been a hero to me. When I think of the epitome of a man, I think of him. His wisdom and life lessons have been a guide for me, as I have grown into a man.

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school?

• Jalen Virgil. Jalen is a gifted playmaker and has an exceptional football IQ. He just did not get as many touches as he should have. 

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

• In this climate of COVID, I do not like when someone sneezes and does not cover their mouth. We have to be safe.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome? 

• One of my hardest moments was losing my younger brother. At that moment, I was faced with staying home to support my family during their time of grief or pursuing my football career in the season. In the end, I knew that the best way to honor both my brother and my remaining family members was to complete my education and continue to play the sport that I love.

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you? 

• I actually have a love for both of my schools. Appalachian State was where I honed in on my college football career and became a man in some respects. Louisiana Tech and the community accepted me with open arms. Both experiences were unique and shaped me personally and athletically.

What is your favorite snack food? 

• On the sweet side, I enjoy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. On the salty side, I like Sweet & Spicy Doritos.

What is the best part of football? 

• I consider football the game of life. It comes with adversity, success and failure. How you react to them will determine your future. This sport has helped me grow and mature both on the field and off the field into the man I am today.

If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say?

• I am Marcus Williams, Jr., a player who has the speed to deliver yards, the agility to shake up defenders and the hands to retain possessions and score consistently.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be?

• I often compare my size, and play to Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

• I would select Christopher Columbus, Harriett Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr. All are historic in their own right. However, I would want to know how they navigated in those times. In addition, I would like to know how they viewed the world in their era and share how we have grown today.