Ah, the rare and coveted 5-star "can't miss" LB, a commodity unaccustomed to the Auburn Fam. Then came making Willie Williams' short list of FOUR official visits. The 6' 3" 240 LB who was clocked with a 4.3 got just a smidge of attention.
What could possibly go wrong in Lee County, eh? And spinach dip got us. I recall a complete meltdown on the message boards back then over the shaming of Auburn football's spinach dip offering, as contrasted with rivals' lobster, scamp, and the works.
Story excerpts below.
E5
Full article link:
Willie Williams recruiting story
JEFF PEARLMAN
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Williams’ first stop on the recruiting express was a January trek to Tallahassee, home to Florida State and Bobby Bowden, the school’s legendary coach.
Less than an hour after returning to Miami, Williams met Navarro inside the Carol City gymnasium. The reporter switched on his recording device and asked some questions. What emerged from the football star’s mouth was pure newspaper gold.
From the opening diary …
"Dinner was tight,'' Williams said. "We had our own section in the restaurant, but the only thing that bugged me was that I sat all the way in the back—so I was the last one to get my food. Coach (Odell) Haggins told us to order as much as we wanted. I ordered a steak and a lobster tail. The lobster tail was like $49.99. I couldn't believe something so little could cost so much. The steak didn't even have a price. The menu said something about market value. I was kind of embarrassed so I didn't order a lot. But then I saw what the other guys were ordering, I was like, `Forget this.' I called the waiter back and told him to bring me four lobster tails, two steaks and a Shrimp Scampi. It was good. I took two boxes back with me to the hotel."
After dinner, Williams met his tour guide—defensive back Antonio Cromartie. But he quickly urged the coaches to find him a new one.
"That boy was on crutches," Williams said. "I would have had to hop around campus everywhere. Besides, I wanted somebody who played my position to take me around." Cromartie was immediately replaced by linebackers Ernie Sims, Willie Jones of Carol City and A.J. Nicholson, as well as defensive lineman Clifton Dickson of Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
"Coach Bowden was cool, but Ms. Bowden was the bomb," Williams said. "I swear, she must be related to Betty Crocker or something. When we walked into that house, it was like walking into a Publix Bakery—banana pudding, chocolate cake, cheesecake. I had one of everything. I didn't want to leave."
Back at the Herald, Navarro was pleased with the response.
Though the diary had run toward the rear of the sports section, it was the talk of Miami’s AM radio stations. Villa tried to convince Richard Bush, the newspaper’s sports editor, to place the ensuing entries on the front page, but he declined.
In a city with the Dolphins and Heat and Marlins and Panthers and Hurricanes, who really cared about the exploits of some high school kid?
Williams’ next trip was to Auburn…
''I really wanted to go to Red Lobster for some more lobster and steak, but they told me the wait was two hours. So I got me some baby back ribs, Buffalo wings and shrimp,'' Williams said. "Even though I ordered first, somehow, I was still the last one to get my food. It took them like two hours.''
During the wait, several of the female hosts, nicknamed the ''Tigerettes," offered him some of their spinach dip. ''You know how it is, those girls are supposed to be there to cheer you up,'' Williams said. "But I told them, 'I ain't no animal, and I ain't going to eat no plant.'
"But they kept pushing it toward me. It was disgusting. I told them, 'I'm from Miami. I don't eat that. You farm people are used to it, but not me.'"
Later that night, the recruits were invited to a party on campus with their hosts. "The girls at the party were much better than the farmer girls we'd see all day around campus," Williams said. "I was kind of worried all Auburn had to offer was those farmer girls that talked funny. But the girls at the party weren't farmer girls at all. I thought they must have bused them in from Miami."
The reaction to the Auburn diary entry was even greater.
Clicks on the Herald’s online high school sports page increased sixfold. Auburn supporters were outraged by Williams’ “farm girls” depiction and besieged the newspaper with angry letters and calls. General readers, however, loved it.
The next recruiting romp was an easy one—an evening with Coach Larry Coker and his staff at the University of Miami.
What could possibly go wrong in Lee County, eh? And spinach dip got us. I recall a complete meltdown on the message boards back then over the shaming of Auburn football's spinach dip offering, as contrasted with rivals' lobster, scamp, and the works.
Story excerpts below.
E5
Full article link:
Willie Williams recruiting story
JEFF PEARLMAN
FEBRUARY 4, 2014
Williams’ first stop on the recruiting express was a January trek to Tallahassee, home to Florida State and Bobby Bowden, the school’s legendary coach.
Less than an hour after returning to Miami, Williams met Navarro inside the Carol City gymnasium. The reporter switched on his recording device and asked some questions. What emerged from the football star’s mouth was pure newspaper gold.
From the opening diary …
"Dinner was tight,'' Williams said. "We had our own section in the restaurant, but the only thing that bugged me was that I sat all the way in the back—so I was the last one to get my food. Coach (Odell) Haggins told us to order as much as we wanted. I ordered a steak and a lobster tail. The lobster tail was like $49.99. I couldn't believe something so little could cost so much. The steak didn't even have a price. The menu said something about market value. I was kind of embarrassed so I didn't order a lot. But then I saw what the other guys were ordering, I was like, `Forget this.' I called the waiter back and told him to bring me four lobster tails, two steaks and a Shrimp Scampi. It was good. I took two boxes back with me to the hotel."
After dinner, Williams met his tour guide—defensive back Antonio Cromartie. But he quickly urged the coaches to find him a new one.
"That boy was on crutches," Williams said. "I would have had to hop around campus everywhere. Besides, I wanted somebody who played my position to take me around." Cromartie was immediately replaced by linebackers Ernie Sims, Willie Jones of Carol City and A.J. Nicholson, as well as defensive lineman Clifton Dickson of Miami Northwestern Senior High School.
"Coach Bowden was cool, but Ms. Bowden was the bomb," Williams said. "I swear, she must be related to Betty Crocker or something. When we walked into that house, it was like walking into a Publix Bakery—banana pudding, chocolate cake, cheesecake. I had one of everything. I didn't want to leave."
Back at the Herald, Navarro was pleased with the response.
Though the diary had run toward the rear of the sports section, it was the talk of Miami’s AM radio stations. Villa tried to convince Richard Bush, the newspaper’s sports editor, to place the ensuing entries on the front page, but he declined.
In a city with the Dolphins and Heat and Marlins and Panthers and Hurricanes, who really cared about the exploits of some high school kid?
Williams’ next trip was to Auburn…
''I really wanted to go to Red Lobster for some more lobster and steak, but they told me the wait was two hours. So I got me some baby back ribs, Buffalo wings and shrimp,'' Williams said. "Even though I ordered first, somehow, I was still the last one to get my food. It took them like two hours.''
During the wait, several of the female hosts, nicknamed the ''Tigerettes," offered him some of their spinach dip. ''You know how it is, those girls are supposed to be there to cheer you up,'' Williams said. "But I told them, 'I ain't no animal, and I ain't going to eat no plant.'
"But they kept pushing it toward me. It was disgusting. I told them, 'I'm from Miami. I don't eat that. You farm people are used to it, but not me.'"
Later that night, the recruits were invited to a party on campus with their hosts. "The girls at the party were much better than the farmer girls we'd see all day around campus," Williams said. "I was kind of worried all Auburn had to offer was those farmer girls that talked funny. But the girls at the party weren't farmer girls at all. I thought they must have bused them in from Miami."
The reaction to the Auburn diary entry was even greater.
Clicks on the Herald’s online high school sports page increased sixfold. Auburn supporters were outraged by Williams’ “farm girls” depiction and besieged the newspaper with angry letters and calls. General readers, however, loved it.
The next recruiting romp was an easy one—an evening with Coach Larry Coker and his staff at the University of Miami.
Last edited:
