The introduction of NIL to NCAA athletes opened up a whole new world for players to capitalize on the value they bring. Better yet, it can show off the interests of the athletes outside of the game they play. So, for Clemson sophomore defensive tackle Tre Williams, could we see him as a football player on the field and a fashion model off the field?
Say What?
Earlier this month, Williams sat down with Adam Breneman on our Twitter Spaces to talk about a myriad of topics, from his off-season diet to his favorite game in his career. Williams also engaged with the Clemson fans, even bringing in his own mom on the Q&A, where they revealed that the hardest food for him to give up was his mom’s chicken tenders.
Here are a few other things we learned about Clemson’s defensive tackle.
Tre Williams Quotes to Live By
Williams has had a great journey in his football career, going from Connecticut to Washington D.C during his high school days to have a better opportunity to play the game, which eventually led him down to Clemson.
He says, “You can never make a moment too big or too small.”
He attributes that mindset to his success on the field, which led him to join such a prestigious football program. The DT spoke of advice he would give his younger self.
“If something good happens, don’t think about it too long; if something bad happens, also don’t think about it too long.”
His Nickname is Groovy
Williams also discussed how he got the nickname, “Groovy”, which he says was more of an off-the-field thing, but essentially due to how he carried himself. He loved to dance, and “always doing things people said big guys couldn’t do,” and is just flat out “the grooviest guy in the country.”
Life After Football… Sports Broadcaster or Fashion Model?
As the topic of NIL came up, Groovy explains that he doesn’t focus too much on it, because if you aren’t performing on the field, none of that matters – exactly the kind of mindset you see from a dedicated team player. That being said, he did talk about other interests off the field, along with potential careers after the game of football passes – Sports Broadcasting and Fashion.
Could the Defensive End also double as a model? Williams thinks that could be a possibility, as he’s been approached by a couple of modeling agencies to solve a demand for more plus-size models. Due to being busy with the Clemson Tigers’ football schedule, we’ll most likely see some flicks of the grooviest avenger in the off-season. This is a perfect example of how the hard work these guys put in for their sport leads to fields of opportunity outside the gridiron. Williams praises these NIL opportunities, saying they really give him the power to express himself, and even allow for the start of some “Groovy” merch.
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