ALLEN PARK — Jameson Williams had told his Detroit Lions wide receiver teammates for weeks that he was looking to hurdle over a defenseman during a game.
Afterall, he had a legitimate reason: “I just wanted to get a highlight.”
So Williams, best known as JaMo, stepped up and in the Thanksgiving win over the Bears, he caught a Jared Goff pass and hurdled over Bears defensive back Kevin Byard on a second-and-1 play to gain 15 yards. Byard, who is 5-foot-11, was standing tall. No problem for JaMo.
“I ain’t going to lie, I’ve been telling receivers I’m going to hurdle somebody for 2-3 weeks now. Ever since I came back in Houston game,’’ Williams said on Monday. “I tried to do it in Houston game. I kinda did it but it didn’t work out as well as this one. Last week vs. the Colts I tried to jump, but I got tripped up from the back on the catch. This week it was one-on-one and I just did it.’’
He got the result he wanted, the highlight clip has been everywhere.
“I think it was exciting, I heard the crowd go crazy. That was probably one of the only plays or first plays I’ve actually been on the field and hear the sound of the crowd change — go from normal to when I jumped over him it was really loud,’’ Williams said. “I think it’s exciting for me, my teammates, the fans. That’s what I try to do, I try to create excitement for everybody that was watching us play, watching me play.’’
It is not like he is new to hurdles.
Along with football, Williams ran track at Cardinal Ritter High School (St. Louis) and won back-to-back Class 3 state titles in the 300-meter hurdles.
In 2018, Williams ran the 300-meter hurdles in 37.28 seconds, breaking the previous record set by Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys running back. Williams also won a state title in the 400 meters.
He tried hurdling defenders in high school with limited success.
“The first game of my senior year I did it and I scored. In St. Louis in high school, you can’t hurdle, it’s a penalty. They didn’t call a penalty on that one,’’ Williams said. “Then I did it my last game in the state championship. I hurdled somebody, I rolled over them but I was never down, I got up and finished but they called it a flag. So it got called back.’’
Williams’ speed is what set him apart on the football field at Alabama and now with the Lions.
He would like to get a chance to use that speed as a punt returner.
Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said Williams and cornerback Terrion Arnold beg him to return punts.
“I love it, it doesn’t mean they’re going to get that, but I love the fact that they want to do it because there are some other players that probably are hoping that their number’s not called, it’s just the reality of it,’’ Fipp said. “But you want guys who want to touch the ball, I mean, that’s how (former RB) Darren Sproles was, that’s how (former WR) DeSean Jackson was. I mean, those guys wanted to be back there, they wanted to touch the ball and they wanted to make a difference in the game, and they knew that it was an opportunity to do it.”
Williams has matured in his three years in Detroit and last week said flat-out he’s a football player. He takes pride in blocking and his connection with Jared Goff continues to grow.
Still, some NFL players do not want to play on special teams.
“It’s football, it’s still football. You’ve got the ability to make a play and change the game on special teams,’’ Williams said, explaining that a punt return can be a game changer just like a play on offense or defense.
UP NEXT: Green Bay Packers (9-3) at Detroit Lions (11-1) at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday at Ford Field.)
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