Why Damian Williams deserves your support
Damian Williams will probably take the first snap at quarterback for the 2016 season, and MSU fans need to support him.
Most MSU fans expect Nick Fitzgerald to be the primary quarterback this season. Most MSU fans want Nick Fitzgerald to be the quarterback. That is mostly based in the perception that Damian Williams is closer to a Chris Relf type and Nick Fitzgerald is closer to a Dak Prescott type.
We think we know what these two quarterbacks will bring to the table, but we don’t really know because neither one of them has taken a meaningful snap in the past two seasons. Damian Williams is the only one who has actually taken a meaningful snap in his career, but he was a true freshman so you almost have to scrap that game tape.
Since most MSU fans have pretty much made up their mind they want Nick Fitzgerald, but it’s Damian Williams likely to get the first snap of 2016 and equal time vs. South Alabama, there will be many folks not wanting to support Williams.
I’m not suggesting that any Bulldog fans are going to boo Williams when he’s announced, but I expect Fitz to have a much louder cheering section when he’s announced. If Williams does poorly, however, he may get some boos.
<p>Career: 13 games (1 start)</p><p>Passing – 37 of 70 for 434 yards; 3 touchdowns and 2 INT (113.4 rating)</p><p>Rushing – 175 yards at 3.3 YPC with 1 touchdown</p>. Jr.. Mississippi State Bulldogs. DAMIAN WILLIAMS. QB
Fans are curious creatures, and in the back of many a mind on Saturday will be the unspoken thought that they hope Williams doesn’t do that well (but State still wins big) so Fitz can take the job for good. This, of course, assumes said fans who haven’t been at practice are smarter than Dan Mullen and QB coach Brian Johnson.
If you’re one of those fans quietly hoping Williams doesn’t do enough to earn playing time in Week 2 or 3, I hope you’ll reconsider.
Damian Williams has proved his dedication to Mississippi State time and time again.
He was committed to Southern Miss for the 2013 recruiting class because MSU already had Cord Sandburg and were going after Josh Dobbs. When Dobbs went to Tennessee, Mullen offered Williams at the last minute and he accepted.
Damian knew he was the second choice after Dobbs and the second choice after Sandburg. Still, he came to Starkville ready to play, and after Sandburg chose a baseball career he grabbed the 3rd string position behind Tyler Russell and Dak Prescott.
More from Mississippi State Football
- Meeting the Opponent: Week 4 – South Carolina Gamecocks
- Mississippi State football vs LSU: The good, bad, and ugly
- The Wednesday Wrap: Maybe Mississippi State Football Coach Zach Arnett shouldn’t do it his way
- Mississippi State football history vs. South Carolina: Records, streaks, and more
- Mississippi State football bowl projections after Bulldogs crushed by LSU
He was forced into action as an insurance policy after Russell’s injury in the opener, burning his redshirt. Ultimately, that proved to be a smart decision because Williams had to play vs. Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss.
Williams held down the back-up quarterback position in 2014, allowing Nick Fitzgerald and Elijah Staley to redshirt. Then in 2015, when MSU had four other very talented QBs on the roster, he chose to stay in Starkville and redshirt rather than transfer out.
Damian Williams is a competitor who stayed to win the starting quarterback job. By all accounts he’s a good locker room guy and he’s been very loyal to Mississippi State.
You should want him to do well. It doesn’t really matter who QB1 is, but there’s no better guy to get it than Damian Williams. He may or may not succeed in 2015, but he’s a ball player you can be proud that he’s a Bulldog.