Williams pledges loyalty to Eskimos
Eskimos receiver says he’s more focused on getting better than making the NFL
Duke Williams knows exactly what path he’s on.
It’s becoming a well travelled one — the latest example being Brandon Zylstra — beginning in the Edmonton Eskimos receiving corps and running due south into a National Football League opportunity.
When Williams first arrived in the Canadian Football League in 2017, teammate Derel Walker was taking his shot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he and then-teammate Adarius Bowman finished No. 1 and 2 overall in receiving yards.
While Walker would end up returning to Edmonton, Zylstra took things one step further by cracking the active roster of his home-state Minnesota Vikings after leading the CFL with 1,687 receiving yards, while also leading all receivers with 487 yards after catch.
This year, that role has belonged to Williams, who heads into Saturday’s game (2 p.m., TSN, ESPN+, 630 CHED) against the Ottawa Redblacks on top of the CFL heap with 1,235 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns, after spending the first half of the season occupying the top two spots with Walker, before Walker injured his knee.
And over the bye week, you can bet Williams watched closely as Zylstra made his NFL regularseason debut.
“Brandon Zylstra, I watch him all the time,” Williams said. “He was the leading receiver last year, so I watched him. I’ve never seen anybody that could play like that.
“He’s definitely great and he made the 53-man roster, which I had no doubt he was going to do with a talent like his. They gave him the opportunities and he made the best of it. That’s our brother. He’s always going to be a playmaker and we wish him the best. We know he’s going to ball out, no matter what.”
Williams will continue to do the same in Zylstra’s absence, looking to continue putting up leagueleading numbers down a playoff stretch that was interrupted during his rookie season, when he sat out the final five games, including both playoff matches.
“Last year around this time, I had to watch every game we played in the last stretch, but now I get to help us mentally and physically,” he said. “Last year, I could just talk to the players, but now I can play. And my play can help us on the field.
“So I’m definitely thankful for that and I’m thankful for the coaches giving me this opportunity and keeping me grounded when it happened. Now I’m here and I’m just ready to see what the future holds for us.”
And beyond, considering Williams is playing in the final season of his initial two-year CFL contract.
“That will take care of itself down the road,” said the six-foot-three, 225-pound junior-college product.
“Right now, I’m focusing on winning and getting to this Grey Cup. I’ve never won a championship before and they always talk about (how) it’s a great feeling. A memory that you’ll never forget.
“So that’s my main focus right now, fight through everything and just getting to that Grey Cup. It’s one game at a time, you never know what could happen.”
Williams doesn’t buy into the idea that the trend of league-leading receivers under quarterback Mike Reilly are putting the Eskimos on the map when it comes to NFL interest.
“I feel like they’ve been on the map, honestly, because they ’re Edmonton,” Williams said, pointing to former Eskimos defenders currently pursing NFL opportunities, such as Deon Lacey and Kenny Ladler.
“We’re a nice organization, we’re always producing playmakers on both sides of the ball. So that’s nothing new.
“I’m just enjoying the team, the players, the environment. I’m having fun and everything else is in the future.”
From Day 1, Williams said he wouldn’t fall into the same trap as all too many Americans do when they come up here simply looking for game film for their agent to shop around the four-down loop.
“I’m looking to get better. And if it plays itself out, I’ll be here, if not, I’ll be down south,” said Williams, who spent the 2016 NFL pre-season with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent.
“It doesn’t really matter to me, I’ve just got to help my teammates win and just focus on that and get this ring. Pay the price for the ice.”
Wherever his career ends up taking him one day, Williams says his CFL home will always be with the Eskimos.
“Edmonton just was one of those teams that believed in me when nobody else did,” he said.
“I was sitting at home just working out. No teams called from the NFL or the CFL, Edmonton was the only team that gave me that call, so my loyalty is with them, no matter what.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be playing right now, probably. So I’m just thankful for that, I’m giving it my all and make sure I leave it all on the field.
“I’m here and I’m making the best out of it. And I love it.”
I’m focusing on winning and getting to this Grey Cup. I’ve never won a championship before and they always talk about (how) it’s a great feeling.