Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams' eye black caught the attention of fans during his scintillating performance against coach Kirby Smart's No. 2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Week 5 action. The freshman caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Milroe and proceeded to tie up Georgia defenders in knots to help Alabama win the game.
Many football players have bible verses on their eye blacks. However, Williams only had two words in his:
"Kill everybody."
So far in his nascent college football career, he has left fans in awe as he has registered 462 yards on 16 receptions resulting in five touchdowns. During the game against the Bulldogs, he tallied 177 yards on six receptions with one touchdown.
Ryan William's eye black is a reference to the character "Alvin Mack" from the renowned 1993 sports movie "The Program." In the movie, Mack had a famous line that was used by the Alabama wide receiver:
"Kill the quarterback. Hit the tight end so hard his girlfriend dies. Kill everybody," Mack said.
Ryan Williams eye black adds to mystique around him
Ryan William's eye black is not the only intriguing part of his personality. Coach Kalen DeBoer and retired coach Nick Saban have both praised his maturity and infectious energy in the dressing room.
After Friday's practice during Alabama's open week, Williams was in a green suit with his nails painted green which had fans on social media talking just like they did when former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams had the same color on his nails.
While speaking to reporters, Williams explained the rationale behind his painted nails.
“I wore these with my green suit,” Ryan Williams said on Sept. 20. “We’ll change it up, pretty much every week. My little sister, she just loves doing nails and I support her fully.”
During the Week 4 episode of ESPN's "College GameDay," Nick Saban outlined the aspects that make Williams such a special player.
“Ryan Williams is a mature competitor, man,” Saban said. “He’s one of the most mature kids I’ve ever recruited. As a freshman, he showed maturity. What that really tells you, when a guy is a mature competitor, is he can focus on the things that matter. For a 17-year-old guy, this guy is explosive. He’s got great hands. He can run after the catch.”
Williams is living up to all the hype around him as he helps to push the Alabama juggernaut under new coach Kalen DeBoer.
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