Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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watched, and I remember being that guy not too long ago. It's crazy how it comes full circle." ISHAQ WILLIAMS' JOURNEY CONTINUES It's been more than two years since former Irish defensive end Ishaq Wil- liams last played a collegiate snap, but he's hoping to overcome that and earn a spot on an NFL roster in 2016. Williams, who never quite lived up to the five-star status with which he arrived on campus in January 2011, played three seasons before missing the 2014 and 2015 campaigns due to the fallout from the academic inves- tigation that involved five players in August 2014. After sitting out the entire 2014 slate, Williams returned to school last summer hoping to be cleared for action and to make his case for the NFL. He jumped through all of the hoops to become eligible at Notre Dame before the NCAA ruled last August that he would be ineligible for the season. At Notre Dame's pro day, Williams spoke about opportunities and turn- ing a new page. "It's been a great journey," he said. "I've learned so much about myself. I've developed as a person. It's great to be back out here with an opportu- nity to taste my dream." Last fall, while his former team- mates went 10-3 on the field, Wil- liams worked out at Notre Dame while working toward his degree. He is nine credits away from gradu- ation and has been preparing for the push to make an NFL roster in Flor- ida these past few months. "First I was doing a lot of working out, combine training and doing ev- erything I can to get ready for today," he said. ✦