Photo by VYPE Media's Bradley Collier.
It's always a great achievement when an athlete receives an offer to play at the collegiate level. For Pflugerville Hendrickson multi-sport star Jaden Williams, he earned that for not one, but two sports. He couldn't pass up the special opportunity to continue his football and basketball careers at Tulane University and ultimately committed to the Green Wave this summer.
"It's exciting because that has been a dream since I was a kid," said Williams. "People asked if I wanted to play football or basketball and I always said both. It felt great knowing that I was going to be playing both. It was a dream coming to reality."
Williams understands the unique situation he's headed towards and wants to make the most of it.
"First, I'm making sure my body is right," he said. "I've been eating better, drinking a lot more water and taking stretching more serious. I try not to focus on both at the same time, so I can keep my head into whatever season I'm in, whether it be football or basketball. But, I'll always make time for the other sport."
Another aspect is the highly thought of academic curriculum at Tulane University.
"It's a great academic program and [football] coach [Willie] Fritz graduates all of his athletes, which played a big role in my decision," said Williams. "Knowing that he is taking his athletes' grades serious and makes sure we are set outside of football just shows how much he really cares."
And finally, there's the renowned city of New Orleans, where the school is located.
"I've been to New Orleans a few times and I loved it," said Williams. "But, being able to spend my next three to four years there is really exciting. I'm looking forward to everything in the Big Easy."
Before Williams makes the trek across the Sabine River, he's focused on finishing his high school career on the right note as a senior this year. It's already off to a strong start because his 2-1 Pflugerville Hendrickson football team is in a good position to bounce back after an unexpected down year in 2019.
"We just came into this season locked in," he said. "Not want to repeat last season. I credit all of my boys and I love them to death and hopefully we bring the respect back to Hendrickson."
That early team success also puts Williams in a good spot to reach personal goals before high school graduation.
"I broke some basketball records, but I want to break some football records as well," he said. "So, I can really stamp my name into Hendrickson High School and be remembered for a lifetime."
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