TSN's Top 101

Sporting News, The, Jan 31, 2000

No. 1 hit

You have to watch only a few plays to know D.J. Williams of De La Salle High in Concord, Calif., is special. In fact, he is the best college football prospect in the nation.

There he is, running full speed toward a defender with the ball jammed tight in his elbow joint. He stops abruptly, waves the defender by and steams down the sideline toward the end zone. A few minutes later from his linebacker spot, Williams begins his hunt for the ball. Sifting through blockers, Williams dashes across the field and runs down the ballcarrier for a 3-yard loss. It seems No. 27 in the green and white jersey is ubiquitous.

"It's a pleasure when someone thinks you're the best," says Williams, who won't turn 18 until July 20. "But you can't let it go to your head. Thinking that way and walking around that way, it'll just mess you up."

"He could survive in the NFL right now," says coach Bob Ladouceur, who has guided De La Salle (located in the San Francisco area) to a 100-game winning streak. "He has the strength, speed and mental focus to do it. He's the best player on this level I've ever seen, let alone coached."

That's high praise, considering Ladouceur also coached NFL players Amani Toomer (who played at Michigan) and Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame). Williams, who has officially visited Miami (Fla.), Texas, Florida State, Michigan and Cal, is outstanding because of his combination of power, size and speed. At 6-2, 230 pounds, Williams runs a 4.5 40-yard dash and can bench-press 375 pounds. Because he's tall, rangy, athletic and expected to play linebacker in college, Williams often is compared with former Penn State standout LaVar Arrington.

"He a straight-down-the-line team player," Ladouceur says. "D.J. came into the preseason as the most-hyped player in the country, but he didn't let it affect him. His work ethic stayed true, and his team-first mentality did, too.

"People watch D.J. play and see all the great things he does on the field. But off the field, and to our team, he's so much more than just another great football player. He gives it up for his team; you can't ask anything more from a player." --Bobby Burton