Williams, Price have a lot in common

Troy Williams didn't grow up dreaming of playing football at Washington. He listened to what coaches had to say and came to the conclusion that the school simply fit him the best.

He didn't choose Washington because there was a guarantee of early playing time. There's certainly not.

The coaches did have a big hand in his decision, but so did someone else: current Husky quarterback Keith Price.

As Williams was receiving high praise and accolades, and as the recruiting process started to heat up, he was obviously hearing a lot of talk and probably a lot of promises from the coaches that were trying to woo him. No doubt, sometimes it's tough to separate the truth from, well, half-truths.

When he heard what Steve Sarkisian and the coaches at Washington were saying he saw that a lot of it had come true with Price.

That resonated with Williams because he saw a lot of similarities between Price and himself.

Price was a 6-foot-1, 176-pound dual-threat quarterback coming out of Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco in the Class of 2009. Not as heralded as Williams would be, his upside was still evidence, and Price was known in his area.

Williams has a similar stature and arm, and he saw that Price made the transition well moving from California to Seattle.

Since becoming a high profile recruit Williams has come to know Price pretty well.

"Keith is a real cool dude," Williams told UDUBNation.com. "I know him pretty well. We worked out a few times when he was going to high school here. He's a real good guy. He's real hard-working. We've got a lot in common."

The fact that Williams and Price are hardworking and similar in build is just the beginning of the similarities between the two.

Williams notes that their personalities are strikingly similar, too.

"We both smile a lot," Williams continued. "We like to keep it relaxed and fun off the field but our competitiveness is the same. I'm real serious as soon as I step on that field."

Williams would obviously love to match the success Price has had at Washington, but he knows it's not going to be handed to him. That work ethic is going to be necessary if he's going to accomplish what Price did last year. Few quarterbacks, even the most highly-ranked, top 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in a season.

No doubt, that relationship with Price can only serve Williams well in the long run. He may not be around Price long, because the Huskies' quarterback will be moving on, but it can't hurt to learn under one of the nation's best.

On top of all that, Williams and Price had similar experiences as recruits. Both decided to pledge to the Huskies during the summer before their senior year. Washington fans will surely be hoping that there isn't as much drama with Williams' recruitment. As you'll recall, Price was only a soft verbal to the Huskies and even visited other schools prior to signing his Letter-of-Intent.

It doesn't appear Williams will go that route as he seems confident in his choice. Nonetheless, the similarities are there and Price was a big factor in helping Washington's coaches to gain Williams' trust. He figures to be a big factor in his future as well.

"He was a real big factor in my decision," Williams concluded. "Watching him in high school, because I used to watch him there, and watching him compete in college, it's been real great. It's great to see what he's done. He's come a long way. I'm ready to do it myself."

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