http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article.jsp?id=9593
Long-Distance Connection
By Mike Duffy
May 4, 2006
Former Oregon wideout Demetrius Williams was considered by many 'draft gurus' as one of the top five receivers in the 2006 NFL Draft. So when he watched three rounds of picks roll by without hearing his name called, doubt started to creep into his head.
That doubt was finally erased 14 spots into the fourth round, when the Ravens took Williams with the 111th pick.
"It was a relief," admitted Williams. "I was sitting there waiting on the first day, and that was kind of rough. The second day, they called me pretty early and woke me up, but I was glad they did."
The 6-2, 197-pound receiver is certainly sleeping much better now that he's officially coming to Baltimore. That sentiment is shared by the Ravens' director of college scouting Eric DeCosta, who thinks Williams is the steal of the draft.
"I basically would never have guessed that he would have been there in the fourth round," DeCosta said. "We thought he would have probably been gone by the second round or definitely been gone by the third round. We felt like he really fell to us.
"We had him down as one of the top receivers in the draft, actually. In fact, this was a guy that our coaches were very, very high on as possibly a third receiver for us initially, and then down the line as a starter."
Williams has 2,660 career receiving yards and 20 career touchdowns.
Williams broke onto the national radar as a sophomore in 2003, when he caught 51 balls for 935 yards and eight touchdowns. The rangy wideout was hampered by hamstring and turf toe injuries his junior year, but bounced back as a senior with 59 receptions for 1,059 yards and 10 scores.
His career 16.7-yard average per catch (including a 17.9-yard average in 2005) is a testament to Williams' ability to make the big play at any time. DeCosta thinks that the elite Pac-10 competition he faced on a weekly basis will help Williams adjust to the pros at a faster pace than most rookies.
"He's a big-time playmaker," DeCosta stated. "This year, if you watch him versus some of the elite corners in the draft, Richard Marshall versus Fresno (State), the USC kids, he really plays well in those games. He's very productive, runs good routes and he makes plays all over the field. We think he can play inside in the slot or play outside, so we feel really good about him."
Williams is looking to take the Ravens' slot-receiving position this year, learning from veteran wideout Derrick Mason and second-year standout Mark Clayton.
"I wanted to come into a situation where there were a couple of veterans in front of me so I could learn and elevate my game to the best level it could possibly be at," he said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to come in with guys that have already established themselves in the league."
Another thing Williams is excited about is lining up opposite the teams that passed on him in the draft, instead taking other receivers.
"It definitely gave me a lot of motivation to come into camp and really give it my best," he reflected, noting that he had visits with the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers. "Just because of all the guys that got picked ahead of me, I want to prove (the teams that passed me) wrong."
Williams will get a start at the Ravens' rookie camp, which takes place May 13-15. The Concord, Calif. native is excited about kicking off his professional career, but wary about changing coasts after a lifetime out West.
"It's going to be a little rough at first, but I'm living the dream," he affirmed. "This is something that I've wanted to do since I was young. It's going to be a change, but it's something that I'm ready for."
One tough decision he's going to have to make is whether to bring his hobby - or hobbies - to Baltimore with him. The self-described car enthusiast loves working on his white '91 Mustang GT and burnt-tangerine '95 Impala SuperSport.
"I'm not too sure because it does snow in Baltimore and I don't want my cars to go through that," he said with a laugh. "My Mustang is a drop-top, so I really don't think I want that out there. We'll see how the course of the season goes and how I'm feeling about it."
While it's still too early to judge, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is feeling good about Williams' chances of assuming the third spot alongside Clayton and Mason. He'll be competing for the position with Clarence Moore and Devard Darling, both entering their third year.
"Right now, we feel like Mark (Clayton) and Derrick (Mason) are our two starters," said Newsome. "We're looking for Devard (Darling) and Clarence (Moore) to emerge, but right now, we've added a third guy in that competition. I think it's going to be very hard to keep (Williams) off the field this year, even though he's competing with the two other guys."
Williams welcomes the competition and is eager just to represent the purple and black. At least that's what the proud pass-catcher is telling all of his friends and family.
"First of all, I'm coming in there and playing for a great program," he mentioned. "I've been telling everybody that I think we have a chance to be at the top this year and I want to be a big part of that."