CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — Brampton, Ont. native Shomari Williams helped the Queen’s Golden Gaels capture their first Vanier Cup in 17 years this fall and was named player of the game when Queen’s upset top-ranked and defending national champion Laval in the Mitchell Bowl.
The 6’2, 236 lbs. defensive lineman jumped up the CFL’s Amateur Scouting Bureau list moving from #15 to #4 overall. CFL.ca recently caught up with Williams and had the following conversation:
Q: When did you first start playing football?
A: I started playing football in the ninth grade at North Park Secondary School.
Q: What was it like playing football at the University of Houston?
A: Playing at the University of Houston was probably one of the best experiences of my life; the coaching, the facilities and atmosphere was amazing to me. 90,000 fans against Alabama can you ask for anything more.
Q: Why did you decide to come back to Canada to finish your university career and why did you choose Queen’s University?
A: I decided to come back to Canada because I graduated early from the University of Houston and I wanted to become a teacher so I decided to come home. A mutual friend of me and Coach Sheahan told me to try and go to Queen’s and with its academic reputation I knew I wouldn’t have a better opportunity in Canada.
Q: How would you describe your style of play? Is there a current or former CFL player whom you model yourself after?
A: I would say I am a fast and quick player; I try and beat you with my speed and quickness. I have watched video on some of the CFL greats like James ‘Quick’ Parker and Leroy Blugh and I would like to be as successful as they were in their careers, but I still have a long way to go before I can put myself into the same sentence as those two individuals.
Q: Describe the playoff run for Queen’s this year, culminating with a Vanier Cup championship? What was that experience like?
A: The playoff run at Queen’s was special. I couldn’t have asked for a better season. Winning the Yates was a goal for us at the beginning of the season; being able to do that was magical. The games after that were a testament to the coaches and the players in the locker room, we were the only players who believe we could beat the teams that we beat and to us that is all that mattered.
Q: You had a game to remember against Laval (3.5 sacks, 7 tackles) in the Mitchell Bowl. How does that rank for you in terms of individual football performances?
A: Being able to have a performance like that against such a good team meant a lot to me. If I want to be a big time player, I have to make big time plays at big time moments. Against Laval I was able to do that so it was definitely a good feeling to have.
Q: You are one of a growing list of athletes to embrace social media. What made you decide to open a Twitter account and create your own blog?
A: Social Media is a powerful tool; it gives me a chance to connect with people that I may never otherwise connect with. Being an athlete I believe that sometimes you’re placed into categories that you don’t want to be in. With all my social media accounts I am able to let people know who I am as a person on and off the field.
Q: On your Twitter account you state, “Top 40 under 40 before I turn 30”. How do you plan to reach that goal?
A: That’s a big goal of mine. I went to the University of Houston and got an Entrepreneurship Degree from the top Entrepreneurship program in the country. I have a small business right now that helps student athletes earn athletic scholarships. It’s called StudentBlitz.com. It has been going good for me with over 70% of the clients receiving full scholarships. I definitely want to expand on that business and there is also some other projects that I am currently trying to start.
Playing professional football and being successful while playing is definitely a big part of my plan. I can’t give out all my business ideas just yet, but I have big plans for my future.
Q: What was your reaction when you were first named to the CFL’s Scouting Bureau list and then when you shot up the rankings to #4 overall?
A: I was humbled to even be on the list in the first place. There are some really good football players on that list and to be mentioned with some of those players is an honour. I am very excited to be on the list but I still know that there is plenty of work ahead of me, not only to prove that I deserve to be on the list but also to hopefully prove that I am #1.
Q: Did you have a favourite CFL team growing up?
I always cheered for the home team so I was a Toronto Argonauts fan growing up. I remember watching Doug Flutie, Mike O’Shea and Pinball Clemons work their magic for the city of Toronto back in ‘96 and ‘97.
