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Former Auburn WR Duke Williams is still playing football, just not in the NFL
Entering the 2015 season, D’haquille “Duke” Williams was considered on of the top NFL receiver prospects in the SEC. As a junior in 2014, Williams led all Auburn receivers and finished third in the conference with 73 receiving yards per game. In 10 games, Williams caught 45 passes for 730 yards and five touchdowns.
It wasn’t enough to launch him up draft boards, but the 6-foot-2, 230-pound receiver certainly had the interest of many NFL teams. With a strong senior year, he would likely have been one of the first wide receivers selected.
Unfortunately, Williams couldn’t make the most of his opportunity. After doubting whether he wanted to play football for Auburn anymore, Williams was held out of the early portion of the Tigers’ fall camp and was later allowed to rejoin the team by Gus Malzahn. In October of 2015, it was announced that Williams had been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. It was later reported that Williams’ dismissal may have been linked to a bar fight after Auburn’s win against San Jose State.
Williams was not selected in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he was invited to participate in the Los Angeles Rams’ rookie minicamp. After the tryout, Williams signed a contract with the Rams but he was waived during the team’s final round of cuts before the season.
Now, Williams is once again hoping to make a football team, but it isn’t with an NFL squad. The former Auburn receiver is currently listed on the Edmonton Eskimos’ roster, a team which plays in the Canadian Football League.
He isn’t the only former SEC player listed on Edmonton’s roster, however. Former Missouri quarterback James Franklin, Georgia defensive end Marcus Howard, Vanderbilt linebacker Kenny Ladler, Mississippi State running back LaDarius Perkins and South Carolina offensive lineman Justin Sorensen are also with the Eskimos.
CFL teams begin rookie camp on Wednesday and full training camp opens on Sunday. Teams must make all roster cuts by June 17.