By John Frierson
Staff Writer

Justin Williams has opened his arms to life, particularly life as a Georgia student-athlete, and embraced most everything that comes his way. That’s why, a few months back, he was out at the UGA Equestrian Complex getting to know a horse named Snooki.

Standing next to Snooki and rider Tessa Downey, who had the clinching win for the equestrian team when it captured the national championship last April, Williams was in jeans, a Georgia polo, cowboy boots and a riding helmet. He’s used to wearing a helmet, though a much different one, but most everything else about the experience was new to the sophomore linebacker from Conroe, Texas.

“That was the first time I’ve ever ridden a horse,” Williams said Tuesday. “It was very fun. I love doing stuff like that; just trying new things, trying adventures.”

There is one moment in the “Dawg and Pony Show” video when Downey is leading Snooki around the ring at a trot when Williams yells out, “I’m flying! I’m flying!” while sporting a huge smile on his face.

“I think when I learned how to control him and make him stop, at that point, the fear wasn’t there anymore,” Williams said.

Whether it’s how to ride a horse or how to be patient as a player, Williams has already learned plenty in college. He played in 12 of Georgia’s 14 games in 2024, making two tackles. A former five-star recruit who was the top-rated linebacker prospect in the country coming out of high school, Williams was stuck behind some excellent players on the depth chart last season.

If you’re playing football for Georgia, you were a star player in high school. And it’s not always easy for guys who are used to playing all the time and dominating to wait for their opportunity to make their mark on the field. 

“It was very hard, I’m not going to lie,” Williams said of being a backup last season. “I think the biggest thing that helped me was Coach (Kirby) Smart. He sat us down, all the freshmen, and just had a conversation. He was like, ‘I know it’s hard right now, guy, but just push through it.’

“That really helped me a lot, especially just trying to make my way on special teams and just trying to prove myself every day.”

Waiting and watching may have been hard, but it doesn’t mean that Williams didn’t have loads of fun as a freshman.

“I was having a great time. I was loving it,” he said. “I grew up just always being able to enjoy the moment I’m in. It’s like Coach says all the time, enjoy those small moments. And that’s last year for me, just being at Georgia and playing with these guys, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Like a lot of players on this year’s squad, London Humphreys is also hoping to make a big impact this season. After catching 22 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman at Vanderbilt in 2023, the wide receiver had 15 receptions for 224 yards and two scores last fall, his first season with the Bulldogs.

“Having patience is just a tough thing, but it’s also a really important thing to learn just for life,” Humphreys said Tuesday. “You know what you get into when you come to Georgia. Jalon Walker talked to the whole team about it last year. He was frustrated (after the 2023 season when he didn’t contribute that much), and then he turns around and is a first-round draft pick (after last season). … The coaches do a great job of keeping you focused on that main goal for you.”

One area where Williams is already a star on the team is on TikTok. He regularly posts videos of himself and a few teammates dancing before or after practice. It’s obvious that he’s having a blast doing the videos, which he started making back in high school.

“That’s just a way to express myself,” he said. “I want people to know me for who I am, personality-wise, and not just, Oh, he plays football. It’s a way for me to have fun and ease off the stress of the whole football thing.”

From his big smile and personality to his willingness to try just about anything that comes his way, Williams lives his life wide open to new experiences. He said it started at home with his brothers, and from moving around a lot when they were young.

“It’s just from always having to adapt to the situation that I’m in,” he said. “It’s also from my relationship with the Lord, as well as being at church a lot; just having conversations with people, learning their story, and stuff like that. That’s really helped me a lot in my journey.”

It’s a journey that’s ongoing, for Williams and everyone on the team.

“We’re a young team,” he said, “but being young, it allows for a lot of passion and energy.”

And Williams has plenty of both.

 

Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men’s Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.