Williams accepts invite to East West Shrine Bowl
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Carson-Newman senior defensive back Darius Williams (St. Petersburg, Fla.) has accepted an invitation to participate in the 95th East-West Shrine Bowl Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020 at Tropicana Field.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Carson-Newman senior defensive back Darius Williams (St. Petersburg, Fla.) has accepted an invitation to participate in the 95th East-West Shrine Bowl Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020 at Tropicana Field.
The week's festivities, which culminate in the players' visit to Shriners Healthcare for Children — Florida, allow the top college senior football players the opportunity to showcase their talent to NFL scouts and a national television audience on the NFL Network.
Formerly called the East-West Shrine Game, the event has been played since 1925 to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children and its mission to provide advanced care for children with specialized medical needs.
Williams is the first Eagle selected to play in a postseason all-star game since 2015 when quarterback De'Andre Thomas and running back Damian Baker represented the Eagles in the USA College Bowl, while safety Emmanuel Orange played in the Dream Bowl. Thomas and TraShaun Ward also played against one another in the National Bowl.
Prior to 2015, the last Eagles to participate in an all-star game came in 2009 when running back Buck Wakefield and defensive end Donte Strickland both played in the Valero Cactus Bowl in January 2010.
Williams has started 32 consecutive games at safety for Carson-Newman and earned All-America honors at the end of his sophomore season when he led the South Atlantic Conference in picks with five.
The senior has tallied eight career picks for C-N. He has accumulated 212 interception return yards, sixth all-time in C-N history.
Williams has amassed 179 tackles and 15 for loss. His 7.5 tackles for loss this year are the most by a Carson-Newman defensive back this century.
The St. Petersburg, Fla.-native has a pair of touchdowns in his career. He took a blocked punt 20 yards to the house against Saint Augustine's his freshman year, and scored a 56-yard pick six as a sophomore against Tusculum.
