USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans WR Mike Williams

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Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.

With one day to go, today we look at former USC All-American wide receiver Mike Williams.

Position: Wide receiver

Years played at USC: 2002-2003

Career highlights: Williams’s time in Cardinal and Gold was not very long, but boy, was it ever memorable. In just two seasons with the Trojans, he caught 176 passes for 2,579 yards and 30 touchdowns. In 2003, he was named a Unanimous All-American and helped lead USC to the program’s 10th national championship.

Following his sophmore season, Williams joined Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett in attempting to challenge the NFL’s eligibility rules and declare for the 2004 NFL Draft. However, the court ruled against Williams and Clarett, preventing them from entering the draft. Following the ruling, Williams attempted to return to USC for the 2004 season, but was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, who claimed that he renounced his collegiate eligibility by attempting to declare for the draft. Hence, Williams was forced to sit out the year altogether while the Trojans won another national title without him.

After USC: Despite not playing the entire 2004 season, Williams was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. However, his professional career was a bit of a disappointment, as he appeared in just 56 games in the league between 2005 and 2011 with Detroit, the Oakland Raiders, the Tennessee Titans, and the Seattle Seahawks. By far Williams’s best NFL season came in 2010 in Seattle, when, reuniting with former USC head coach Pete Carroll, he caught 65 passes for 751 yards and two touchdowns.

Since his playing career ended, Williams has gotten into coaching at the high school level in both Southern California and his home city of Tampa, Florida.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans WR Mike Williams

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