Jimmy Williams

Height:
5-11
Weight:
198
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Washington
High School:
Washington
Major:
Recreation & Park Management

An athletic, agile and inspirational pass catcher who earned a roster position as an invited walk-on prior to the start of preseason camp in 2013 and has continued rise up offensive two-deep despite battling nagging injuries throughout career … Was granted a medical hardship waiver by the American Athletic Conference on December 13, 2016, which extended career for one more season (ruling his participation in two contests as a true freshman during the 2013 campaign did not count as an exhausted year of eligibility) … Quickly promoted to scholarship status in 2014 … Appeared to have fully rebounded from first medical setback with nine appearances in 2014 before a left ankle injury limited play in 2015 … Projected to open senior year as ECU’s starting “X” receiver and should be regarded as both a conference and national honors candidate … A Preseason All-AAC selection (second-team) according Athlon Sports … Has played in 30 career games with 19 starts … Has caught 87 passes for 1,275 yards (14.7 ypr) and 11 touchdowns … Produced 23 multiple-catch contests and made at least one reception in 28 outings, which includes a streak of 13-straight games … Led all receivers with 113 reception yards (two catches, both for touchdowns) during the first spring scrimmage on April 1 … Pulled in 48 and 65-yard scoring strikes from Gardner Minshew … Hauled in two more grabs for 29 yards and a pair of TDs (27, two-yarders from Minshew) in second tilt on April 7 … Logged four receptions for 71 yards and a score during the Purple-Gold Game on April 22 … On receiving end of a 36-yrd touchdown toss from Minshew to open the Purple squad’s scoring efforts … Recipient of program’s Community Service Award and offensive unit’s “On The Ship Award” at the close of spring drills … A two-time (2015, 2016) winner of ECU’s Rock Roggeman Heart-of-the-Pirate Award for display of leadership, spirit and inspiration.

2016: Opened all 12 games as the Pirates’ top “Z” receiver … Tallied 45 receptions for 818 yards and eight touchdowns … Catch total (45) ranked third on unit, but owned second-highest yardage clip (818) and topped ECU in TDs (eight) and yards-per-catch average (18.2) … Turned in three 100-yard receiving games, including a career-high 179-yard effort at Virginia Tech … Other triple-digit outings came against UCF (7-145) and Cincinnati (7-129) … Seven-catch performances vs. Knights and Bearcats marked a personal-best … In all, was targeted 78 times and produced 25 first-down grabs … Two of three receptions against Hokies went for 70 or more yards (75, 70-yard TD catches in the third quarter) … Other six scores were vs. Western Carolina (31-yarder), Cincinnati (28, 37), Connecticut (31), Navy (6) and Temple (13) … Booked at least one reception in all 12 games and contributed multiple totals on 11 occasions … Had six catches once (Connecticut/71 yards), five grabs twice (NC State/59, Temple/86), three receptions twice (Virginia Tech/179, Navy/21) and two catches four times (Western Carolina/40, South Carolina/44, Tulsa/34, SMU/7) … Hauled in single pass at USF for three yards … In addition to career-long 75-yarder against Hokies, also accounted for a 50-yarder vs. the Knights and five 30-plus gains vs. Bearcats (39), Owls (37), Wolfpack (33), Catamounts (31) and Huskies (31) … Averaged 4.1 receptions and 62.0 receiving yards per game in eight contests vs. AAC opponents (33-496, 5 TD) compared to 3.0 and 80.5 clips (12-322, 3 TD) in four non-league outings … Balanced home/road splits with 25 grabs for 343 yards in six Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium appearances (20-475 in six away games) … Captured Rock Roggeman Heart-of-the-Pirate Award for second-straight season.

2015: Was ECU’s top “Z” receiver to open junior campaign, starting first five contests before suffering a left ankle injury at SMU … In all, experienced action in seven games with six starts … Returned from injury in early November, coming off the bench against USF and starting road finale at UCF … Recorded 15 receptions for 137 yards (9.1 ypr) and two touchdowns … Tallied both scoring grabs on the road against Navy (two-yarder) and SMU (16) … Caught at least one pass in five outings and produced multiple receptions on three occasions … In fact, enjoyed torrid start to the season with a combined 13 catches in first three contests … Caught four balls for 26 yards in opener vs. Towson, added two more at Florida (21 yards) before booking a career-high seven receptions (for a season-high 55 yards) against Midshipmen in Annapolis … Had single grabs vs. SMU (16) and UCF (19) … Nineteen-yarders vs. Navy and Knights were season longs … Credited with one tackle (on interception return against Virginia Tech) … Did not play vs. BYU, Tulsa, Temple, Connecticut and Cincinnati … Selected as the offensive recipient of the Rock Roggeman Heart-of-the-Pirate Award at the conclusion of the season.

2014: Played in nine games, making one start (North Carolina) ... Netted 22 catches for 254 yards (11.5 ypc) ... Scored first career touchdown at Tulsa with a 16-yard grab in the first quarter ... Recorded multiple receptions in seven of nine contests with a season-high four at Virginia Tech (season-best 77 yards) and against North Carolina (37 yards) ... Also had a season-long 35-yard grab against Hokies … Caught three passes in season opener against N.C. Central (43 yards) ... Twelve of 22 receptions went for 10 or more yards (two for 20-plus) ... Other effort of note was a three-catch, 24-yard performance vs. Florida in the Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field … Carried the ball twice (Tulane, UCF) on reverses for five total yards ... First carry of the season went for 12 yards against Green Wave ... Did not play against SMU, USF, Connecticut and Cincinnati … Missed contests against Mustangs, Bulls and Huskies because of a left ankle injury. 2013: Had redshirt officially removed during the off week after the Virginia Tech game and was inserted into the Pirates’ two-deep prior to the North Carolina contest … Ended up playing in just two games – North Carolina and Middle Tennessee – before suffering a season-ending left foot injury against the Blue Raiders on Oct. 5 … In all, caught five passes for 66 yards during brief stint on travel roster … Had two receptions for 28 yards against the Tar Heels before following with a three-catch, 38-yard performance vs. MTSU … Had a long grab of 21 yards in Murfreesboro as well … Also had one rushing attempt for 10 yards at Kenan Stadium vs. North Carolina.

High School: Earned three letters for coach Sport Sawyer at nearby Washington High School … Also served as a senior team captain for the Pam Pack … Rushed for 1,329 yards and threw for 974 more in 2012 … Accounted for 29 total touchdowns as a senior … Picked up 1,003 ground yards and passed for 574 during junior campaign … Also lettered in basketball.

Personal: Full name is James Oties Williams III … Born at Washington, N.C. … Son of Nadine Daniels … A recreation and park management major … Is ECU's nominee for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® and is passionate participant in numerous community relations activities such as Special Olympics (coach/event day coordinator), Ronald McDonald (visitation, clean-up), James & Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital/Vidant Medical Center (patient visitation), Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina (packing/distribution of food to needy families), Pitt County Schools (Reading is Rewarding) and Beaufort County Schools (Black History Month, guest speaker) … Successfully balances life of a student-athlete and fatherhood as a proud dad of a son - James Williams IV (age 3).