Former Hopkins Star Marcus Williams Hoping To Stick In NFL
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- From Hopkins to Broadway, with a stop at Fargo in between. Marcus Williams was a two-sport star in high school, decided to pursue football and is now a member of the New York Jets.
As Mike Max explains, now that he is there, he wants to stay there.
Williams had to make a decision in high school. He was the point guard on maybe the best high school basketball team ever assembled in Minnesota at Hopkins. But he chose a future in football.
"I always thought about that. It was basically the toughest decision of mine coming out of high school was what sport do I want to play. How did I want to go about things and if I play basketball am I going to be able to go to the high level. If I play football, am I going to be able to go to the high level," Williams said.
He made the right decision, flourishing at North Dakota State as a cornerback.
"It's done a lot. It made me mature more from being a boy to a man and just learning how to study the game of football," Williams said.
He's now got an NFL home, signing last year mid-season with the New York Jets.
"Man it's great. Just being blessed to go out there and play the game I love at the highest level and compete with the greats. I'm playing with some great guys," Williams said.
So this summer he trains against one of the best in the business, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., who is sold on what he sees from Williams.
"He's unbelievably talented. He's got great feet, wonderful instincts and a tremendous work ethic," Fitzgerald said. "I'm looking forward to some big things. He's got some unbelievable players on his team in Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, but I know he's going to make the team and going to make a contribution.
Because making to the league is one thing. Now he wants to stay for a while.
"I mean just hard work. That's mainly what this league is about, how hard are you going to work in the offseason," Wiliams said. "How hard are you going to work during the season, how much time are you going to put into watching film, taking care of your body, eating right."