EDMONTON, Alberta - Carson-Newman All-American safety Darius Williams (St. Petersburg, Fla.) has become the eighth Eagle to join the Canadian Football League and the 59th player to turn pro overall.
Williams also becomes the first Eagle to sign with the Edmonton Eskimos. He is Carson-Newman's first CFL player since James Banks signed with the Calgary Stampeders in 2008.
All the way ��
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 11, 2021
No surprise that @Darius7Williams is the latest @cnfootball player to turn pro.
The All-American safety has signed with @EdmFootballTeam in the @CFL pic.twitter.com/UXhDSaQdbp
A two-time All-SAC selection, two-time all-region honoree and 2017 All-American, Williams made his mark at Carson-Newman.
Williams racked up 179 tackles with 15 for loss. He finished his Carson-Newman career with eight picks and the sixth most interception return yards (212) in program history.
As a senior, he had 65 tackles and 7.5 for loss on the year. The 7.5 tackles for loss are a school record by a defensive back. He had back-to-back double-digit tackle efforts in weeks two and three against Wingate and UVA-Wise.
He followed a then-career best 12 stop day against the Bulldogs with a 13-tackle day against the Highland Cavaliers. He had a 76-yard interception return, one of two picks on the year, against UVa-Wise.
As a sophomore, he led the South Atlantic Conference in picks with five. Williams tallied a pick in three straight games from Sept. 23 against Newberry to Oct. 7 against Limestone. His top effort though came against Tusculum when he snared an INT and returned it 58 yards to the house for the Eagles' lone defensive touchdown of the season.
He showed his first flash of brilliance as a freshman when he brought back a blocked punt for a touchdown against Saint Augustine's.
A product of Northside Christian School in St. Petersburg, he was selected to play in the Senior Bowl following the conclusion of his career for the Orange and Blue.
