Auburn Tigers dismiss wide receiver Duke Williams
The Auburn Tigers have had enough and dismissed talented, but troubled, wide receiver D’haquille “Duke” Williams.
Duke Williams has run out of chances with the Auburn Tigers and on Monday night the talented wide receiver was dismissed, according to according to the Auburn’s affiliate on Rivals, Williams was involved in an incident at a nightclub.
“When individuals fail to meet the expectations of our program, there has to be consequences,” Malzahn told AuburnTigers.com. “I gave D’haquille the chance to prove himself. I am disappointed that it did not work out.”
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Williams was suspended for the team’s bowl game last year against Wisconsin and again during fall camp. Auburn wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig said via Fox Sports, “It’s a certain standard that we have here at Auburn University and as far as the way we’re going to practice and being accountable, and that’s it,”
“There wasn’t no altercation, there wasn’t no arguments, so we can stop the speculation.”
Williams surprisingly decided to return for the 2015 season instead of declaring for the NFL Draft. I say it was surprising not so much because he would have been a first or second round pick, but because he didn’t seem to fit the college game and the demands and accountability needed to remain eligible and active to help his team.
Williams has been active for all five games for the 3-2 Tigers but only has 12 receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown. Auburn’s quarterback problems aside, the 6-2, 224-pound receiver is too talented to have those pedestrian numbers.
The former five-star junior college recruit and No. 1 ranked overall player from the JUCO ranks had 45 catches for 730 yards and five touchdowns last year.
He’ll be an intriguing prospect for NFL teams during the NFL Combine and pre-draft process because of his natural ability but more so because of his questionable character, which counts more than ever before in the new NFL.
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