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Ex-Seminoles RB Roydell Williams Signs with Detroit Lions
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- Ex-Seminoles RB Roydell Williams Signs with Detroit Lions
(Tom Maher/INPHO/via USA TODAY Sports)
Former FloridaState Seminoles running back Roydell Williams will continue his professionalfootball journey after signing with the Detroit Lions .
The Lions running backroom has been decimated with injuries, and Williams adds a much-needed body atthe position.
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Williams presumablywill back up starter Jahmyr Gibbs , who signed a three-year, $67.5 millionextension with the team, and was added to Detroit's roster after RaheemBlackshear was placed on injured reserve. Williams and Gibbs were teammates at Alabama during the 2022 season.
Aftergoing undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft, Williams later signed with the IndianapolisColts as an undrafted free agent. He was waived by the Colts last week, andgained four yards on three carries against the New England Patriots in lastweek's preseason game.
As atransfer from Alabama, Williams played at Florida State during the 2024 and2025 seasons. However, injuries limited Williams to 11 games in the garnet andgold, rushing for 99 yards and two touchdowns during his time in Tallahassee. Williamswas a member of the Crimson Tide's 2020 national championship team.
The 2023season with the Tide was his best season, as he rushed for 560 yards and fivetouchdowns. Against USF that season, Williams rushed for a season-high 129yards and a touchdown in a 17-3 victory.
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A top 100 highschool recruit and No. 9 running back nationally by 247 Sports, Williams rushedfor almost 6,000 yards as a prep star at Hueytown High School. Alabama coachNick Saban sent assistant coach Charles Huff to make the recruiting pitch thatwould bring the No. 5 overall prospect in the state to Tuscaloosa.
Thescouting report on Williams showed he was physically gifted for the position,having spent a lot of time in the weight room. The scouting report on Williams showedhe was projected as a power five starter in college and an early to middleround draft pick.
That scoutingreport proved to be inaccurate.
Once atAlabama, Williams shared carries with Jase McClellan in 2023, and was relegatedas a backup on the depth chart behind Gibbs in 2022, Brian Robinson Jr. in2021, and Najee Harris in 2020. That prompted Williams to enter the transferportal in 2024, landing at Florida State.
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Williams waspart of a Florida State rushing attack in 2024 that gained only 1,079 yards andscored just eight rushing touchdowns in 12 games. For his part, Williams added53 yards and two touchdowns.
Lastseason, Williams rushed for just 46 yards and no touchdowns, and averaged justa little over three yards per carry for a Seminoles team that was the No. 1 rushingoffense in the ACC.
The NFL finalcut-down deadline has been moved up to Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET. With the Lionsfranchise desperate for depth at the running back position, it remains to beseen if Williams survives the cut-down to the 53-man roster mandated by the NFL,or is one of those let go in the roster reduction.
