It’s hard to argue that being Vince Williams’ little brother didn’t play some role being signed. But Karlos Williams is looking to show the Pittsburgh Steelers he’s more than just a product of nepotism.
“That’s my big brother,” he told reporters via Steelers.com. “My big brother has been taking care of me for a long time so I really don’t know. I want to say what I did on the football field before they got me here, they just want to give me a chance and see if I can play in this league.”
And Williams’ resume, though small, is impressive. As a rookie with the Buffalo Bills, he averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored seven times on just 93 carries. That included a start of finding the end zone, as a runner or receiver, in his first six career games.
But weight fluctuations and a four game suspension made even Rex Ryan fed up with him, leading to his release on August 20th. There were reports he was going to sign back with the Bills but the team canceled a workout at the last minute for reasons Williams isn’t sure of but doesn’t spend much time thinking about.
“I’m not sure. I had a planned visit. I’m not sure what happened with the plans. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m here now. So I’m just focusing on what I can do here. Continue to try and prove myself that I can play in the league and hopefully find myself a home.”
Pittsburgh had reported interest for several weeks now. They always seem to like to carry one power back on their roster. First, it was Cameron Stingily, a decision that may have been curious to some. Stingily gave way for David Cobb, who just gave way for Williams. They all fall into that 220-230 pound range but Williams is the most dynamic of the three.
His impact is unlikely to be felt this season but he’s an interesting player to keep around into camp next year. When he and his brother could square off in a live scrimmage.
Naturally, he’s excited to get to play with him for as long as he’s here.
“Me and Vince played with each other in high school, at Florida State for one game, we started together, and that kind of energy we bring to each other is amazing. There’s nothing like it. I don’t think there’s too many brothers in the NFL have played on the same team let alone the same college and high school.”
