HA's Williford commits to play football for LSU

Josh Williford grew up a Tennessee fan, though hoped to remain in-state to play college football closer to home at Auburn or Alabama.

On Sunday, he proudly wore a visor with LSU written across the front.

When the defending national champions welcomed him with open arms and were the first to offer a scholarship, the 6-foot-7, 335-pound Houston Academy lineman saw no reason to delay the process.

In return, Williford, a rising senior, gave head coach Les Miles a verbal commitment on Friday that he planned to play his college football for LSU.
Williford travelled to Baton Rouge, La., to tell the LSU coach of his decision.

“I said, ‘Coach, I want to be a Tiger,’’’ Williford said after returning to Dothan Sunday night. “I guess he didn’t understand me at first. I said it again and he jumped up and hollered and hugged my mother.”

Projected to be an offensive lineman in college, he became the 15th commitment this year for the Bengal Tigers. Verbal commitments are non-binding, and National Signing Day is in February.

Williford is fully qualified with a 3.4 grade point average and a 22 on the ACT. He plans to attend Veterinarian School at LSU.

Both LSU and Ole Miss offered Williford a scholarship. Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn were still showing interest.

Williford said he basically made up his mind after attending a camp at Alabama on June 21. He had previously attended camps at LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Auburn.

“I guess my heart was telling me LSU was the place,” Williford said. “LSU is a national championship team. They can have almost anyone they want.”

It only took the LSU coaches just more than an hour in early June to decide they wanted Williford, who was a first-team All-State Class 2A selection last season. He attended a Junior Day at LSU during the spring to get acquainted with the school and coaches, and was later invited to attend a spring practice.

But it was his performance at the LSU camp in early June that really got their attention.

“When I stepped on the LSU campus (Junior Day), I fell in love with it,” Williford said. “When I came back for the camp, I told myself I had to give it my all.”

Williford said after working for an hour and a half, LSU assistant Josh Henson asked him how he would feel if LSU offered him a scholarship.
“I said I would be pretty danged excited,” Williford recalls. “He said, ‘I think you’re about to be pretty excited because coach Miles wants to talk to you.’’’

Williford said he met with Miles and a scholarship offer was made.

“I wanted to commit right then, but I had said I would go to the other schools and I felt like I should do that,” Williford said.

Williford had camp trips lined up to LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee all in a one-week span.

“They all wanted to see me at camps because of the caliber school (Class 2A) I am from,” Williford said.

Williford went from LSU to Ole Miss, where he was also offered a scholarship after an hour workout at its camp.

“After the first offer, my phone rang constantly all the way to Ole Miss,” Williford said.
Next was camp at Tennessee.

“I thought he had his best workout there,” said his father, Lane Williford, who is a graduate of Tennessee.

But while interested, no offer came immediately from the Vols.

“From a parents perspective, we were thinking Auburn at first,” the father said of the early recruiting process. “It was closer to home.”

But LSU ultimately won over Josh, and his parents.

“They were always straight forward with us — down to earth,” Lane said.

While Josh and his father made the camp trips together, his mother Patricia accompanied him to LSU over the weekend.

“Mom wanted me to go to Auburn, then changed to Alabama,” Josh said. “But I think this time she fell in love with LSU.

“Mom and I went out to eat and she never ate crawfish before. She ate the crawfish and she sucked the head. Please make sure you get that in there,” Josh laughed.