James Williams talks Sean Taylor, ’01 Miami and surrounding himself with greatness at UM
The comparisons between James Williams and Sean Taylor have chased Williams since arrived at Miami Gardens Monsignor Pace for his first year of high school. Joe Zaccheo, who was Monsignor Pace’s coach at the time, spent 40 years coaching high school football in South Florida before he retired in 2019, so he was around to see virtually every great player the area produced during that time.
Zaccheo thought Taylor was one-of-a-kind — an unprecedented blend of size and speed at safety — until he saw Williams. Any time someone came by one of his practices, Zaccheo would point at his oversized safety and say those two — perhaps blasphemous — words: “Sean Taylor.”
“That’s the one,” Williams said Friday after recording eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in Plantation American Heritage’s 12-3 win against Miami Northwestern in a Region 4-Class 5A quarterfinal.
Williams leans into those comparisons. When he orally committed to the Miami Hurricanes in July, he wrote “#RIPSEANTAYLOR” and “#HESBACK” in a message accompanying the Twitter post. When he hears outsiders suggest he move to linebacker at the next level, Williams insists he’s a safety, just like his all-time favorite player.
Even when Miami coaches talk to him, they don’t compare him to anyone on the current roster or from recent history, Williams said. They look at him as Taylor for a new generation.
The next Sean Taylor
Taylor, who was tragically killed in a shooting in 2007, was on his way to a historic career. In high school, he led Miami Gulliver Prep to its only state title in 2000, setting a Florida record with 44 rushing touchdowns while also racking up more than 100 tackles on defense. For the Hurricanes, he was a two-time all-Big East Conference selection, a unanimous All-American in 2003 and a national champion in 2001.
He was only 24 when he died, but Taylor was already a two-time Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro.
Williams was only 4 when Taylor died and he was just starting to play football. He was immediately drawn to safety. The big hits and ball-hawking interceptions are the immediate draw for Taylor, Williams loved the defensive back’s tenacity and Taylor’s willingness to play any sort of role necessary.
“He did everything. He played special teams, linebacker,” said Williams, who’s classified as a five-star athlete in the 247Sports.com composite rankings. “Whatever they needed him at, he played it. That’s what I want to do.”
At 6-2 and 212 pounds, Taylor had the physique to play the role of a versatile athlete on defense. At 6-4 and 218 pounds, Williams is striving to do the same and he shed about 15 pounds from last season to get faster. This year, American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain has been just as comfortable playing Williams in the box as he has been using the senior at his more natural free safety position.
Surtain, who was a two-time All-Pro cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, believes Williams is a safety at the next level, even though some scouts and coaches think he would be a safer bet as an outside linebacker.
“I let people talk. I don’t really give into all of that, I just play my ball, I play it how I feel like what I’m comfortable at,” Williams said. “That’s what I feel like. I’ll let people say what they want me to be. I don’t give in to that.”
The return of 2001 Miami
The Hurricanes’ last national championship happened before Williams was born. All he knows about 2001 Miami are the stories now — legends, to him.
The stories from old Hurricanes all tend to go the same: The best games Miami played in those days were at Greentree Practice Fields. The Hurricanes’ practices in 2001 featured an astonishing 17 future first-round picks, including 11 from Florida and 10 from the Miami metropolitan area.
As obvious as it is, it’s true: For the Hurricanes to return to greatness, they has to recruit at an elite level, particularly in the Miami metro area.
Williams is trying to ensure it happens.
“I want to surround myself with great people. I don’t want to be just the only best player on the team,” Williams said. “Everybody on the field when I step on Miami’s field is going to be great. Everybody I bring in — I want to bring in, recruit, play — I want to be great. I just want greatness around me, just like the old ‘01 Miami. How many first-round draft picks? That’s what I’m trying to get it back.”
The Hurricanes’ Class of 2021 currently ranks No. 13 and Miami holds commitments from 14 blue-chip prospects or All-Americans, all of whom either currently play in Florida or are originally from the state.
With five-star Miami Palmetto defensive tackle Leonard Taylor also in the fold, the Hurricanes are poised to sign multiple five-star recruits for the first time since 2008.
Miami’s recruiting class is complete, either. The Hurricanes currently hold 21 commitments and coach Manny Diaz hasn’t ruled out signing a full 25-player class. Miami is a top contender for four-star Bradenton IMG Academy cornerback Markevious Brown and hopeful to land four-star safety Terrion Arnold from Tallahassee St. John Paul II. The collection of in-state defensive talent reminds Williams of the glory days he grew up hearing about.
His top priority, however, remains the quarterback. The Hurricanes have long targeted Jake Garcia and Williams said he texts the four-star prospect everyday, hoping to convince him to flip from the USC Trojans. He’s the missing piece, Williams believes, in one of the best classes Miami has put together in years.
“I just want to see the same thing: the winning mentality,” Williams said. “I don’t want to see, Miami ain’t back, Miami ain’t this, I want to see the winning mentality, and keep the haters hating and let us do us.
“The U is back. That’s all I’ve got to say. The U is back. You can see. We got great football players from South Florida going home, staying home and wanting to ball.”
