Louisville commit Popeye Williams has state title in sights with Westfield
WESTFIELD, Ind. (BVM) — Last year, the Westfield High School football team came up just short in the IHSAA Class 6A state championship game. This year, a strong senior class led by edge rusher Popeye Williams is hoping to change the results come November.
When he first started his career at Westfield, Williams had to adjust to the high school game, bouncing back and forth between the freshman team and varsity level.
“My goal was to play varsity football going into my high school career,” Williams said. “I did do that and that was a big, big goal for me. I had a heck of a season.”
Between the two levels, Williams compiled a double-digit sack total in his first season, showing immediate potential. However, his first full-time varsity season as a sophomore was a bit of a learning curve.
“I didn’t have quite the season that I wished I would have,” Williams said. “People expected a lot more out of me. That pushed me 10 times harder for my next season.”
Since he began playing football at Westfield, Williams has set a goal of playing professionally someday.
However, after his sophomore season did not go as planned, Williams realized he needed to work even harder to achieve his future goals. To do so, he began training with a former Indianapolis Colts star: Robert Mathis.
It’s not the first time he had trained with a local NFL star either, as Williams also had the chance to work with former Colt Daniel Muir during his middle school years.
“As soon as [Robert] came on board, Covid hit, so my dad and I took drills he used to teach us and started doing it in my driveway and posting it on Twitter so that I could get more exposure,” Williams said. “Robert hit me up on Instagram and said, ‘Come train with me at Marion.’ I’d do whatever it takes to have the opportunity to train with him. My confidence level boosted through the roof because I would be training with him and other NFL guys. To actually be able to do the same thing as these pro guys are doing, I figured I could be one of the best high school outside linebackers in the nation.”
The results from Williams’ training were outstanding. As a junior, the edge rusher totaled six sacks and 57 tackles, 11 of which went for a loss. He helped lead Westfield to a 12-2 record and a Class 6A state championship game appearance.
“Junior year is when I was training with Rob and all those pro guys,” Williams said. “I would stay after the training sessions just to start conversations and they gave me a lot of good knowledge. That made my confidence go through the roof and made my junior year sprout.
“It was also a Covid season, so going to practice every day, knowing that this could be our last practice, made our team as a whole want to stay together. We had a great team, but our bond with each other was unbelievable. We did not want the season to be over, and I think that’s what helped us get to state.”
While the trip to state was special for the Shamrocks, a 38-14 loss to in-state power Center Grove left a sour taste in their mouths. Coming into this season, the goal has been all about getting back to that point, and this time, coming out on top.
“It really hurt us that we lost that game,” Williams explained. “After that game was over, I knew that I still had another year and I knew that I had to do something about this. It really motivated me to make sure I’m on these guys 24/7, reminding them of how it felt last year. I know that those guys don’t want to go through that same hurt we did last year. Instead of saying let’s get to state, we say let’s win state now. We don’t want to rock the runner-up ring, we want the big boy.”
So far this fall, Westfield appears poised to get back to the promised land. After an opening-season loss to Indianapolis Cathedral, the Shamrocks have won eight games in a row in relatively dominant fashion to close the regular season. Now, Williams and his team begin their journey to achieving their goal.
“This season I’ve been playing great in my eyes,” Williams said. “I want to win Mr. Football, but not only that, I want to win state. If our team made it to state and we won it, that would be unbelievable. This year’s team would be the talk of the town for many years to come and that would be a dream come true.”
For Williams, a state championship would bring his young football career full circle. When his dad first introduced him to the sport in kindergarten, it wasn’t something the defensive end really enjoyed.
“My dad put me into this youth league and starting off, I really did not like it,” Williams said. “After one practice, my dad was giving me a tough talk that I need to grow up and this is what football is about. The next day, I came out and was very physical. Ever since then, I’ve really loved it.”
Since his passion for the game grew, Williams has put in constant work to get to the top, and often played up in age throughout his youth. His great hands, quick explosion and high motor are some of many attributes he has developed over the years. They are also qualities many Division I schools began taking notice of over the past year.
In his freshman year, the 17-year-old realized he may have a legit chance to achieve his dream of playing Division I college football. Before long, he received his first college offer from the University of Toledo, which drove him even further.
“When I got my first offer from Toledo, that’s when I said I can go play Division I football,” Williams said. “It really just pushed me to go 10 times harder.”
The edge rusher continued to attend camps as he went into his sophomore season. After a couple of additional offers from Bowling Green and Cincinnati, the interest began pouring in. Eventually Williams was receiving Power 5 offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Kentucky among many others. He even received an offer from Nick Saban and Alabama.
“My offer list all blew up within a summer,” Williams mentioned. “I just want to make my family proud and I’ve been blessed, it’s been a dream come true. For me to know that they’re proud of me makes my day and makes everything better.”
However, one school which was always in the mix that stood out for the Westfield senior was Louisville. Ultimately, it was the Cardinals that won out over some of the other heavyweights.
“I love Louisville,” Williams said. “They’ve been with me since day one and made me feel like I was already on the team. It was always the truth with them. They kept it real with me and told me I can come in and play early if I put in the work. It’s a great family feel and every single coach from Louisville would text or call me. That just let me know right there that they really want me.”
Priority No. 1 for Williams remains the finish to his high school season. But before long, the football star will be accomplishing his dream of playing Division I college football while having the opportunity to pursue another of playing professionally. He’s eager to get going on the next steps of his journey, and knows with more hard work, he will undoubtedly succeed.
“I’m going to go in there grinding it out every single day,” Williams said. “I’m going to give it my all every day while I’m at Louisville. When I’m at college and at that next level, there’s only one more step I have to take to get to the NFL. I won’t let anything stop me from taking that extra step to get there. If I keep doing everything that I’m doing right now, the sky’s the limit.”
