Jamyest Williams returns to face USC, shows out for Georgia State offense
Saturday wasn’t the first time Jamyest Williams stepped foot in the visitors’ locker room at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Williams remembers being in that same locker room for a photo shoot when he was a freshman at South Carolina. The Georgia native was a top 100 recruit coming out of Grayson High School and signed to play for the Gamecocks in 2017.
“I was like, ‘It would suck to be in this locker room,’ ” Williams joked Saturday after Georgia State’s 35-14 loss to the Gamecocks. “It was kind of different.”
Williams was back in that locker room Saturday — one without all the luxury and amenities like the home team — as he and his Georgia State teammates faced the Gamecocks in the season opener for both teams.
Nicknamed “Jam,” Williams played at USC from 2017-19, being named an all-SEC freshman defensive back. He left the program during the 2019 season and landed at Georgia State, where he is in his final year of eligibility.
After the game, Williams emerged from the locker room and made his way to the visiting team’s media room, where he answered questions about being back at his first stop as a collegiate player.
Williams had a good showing against his former team, rushing for 76 yards on 13 carries and also catching two passes for 24 yards.
He had a 41-yard run on Georgia State’s first possession to put the Panthers deep in USC territory. The drive ended at the Gamecocks’ 8-yard line after USC stopped tailback Tucker Gregg on fourth-and-one at the 8.
“I thought he played very emotional and played well, had opportunities to put us in the end zone,” said Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott, a former South Carolina assistant. “I’m sure he wanted to go out and win as much as anybody on the football team. He is just like me. We all want to win every game.”
After the game, Williams was greeted by many of his former teammates and Gamecock personnel staff. He says he’s still good friends with Josh Vann, Chad Terrell, Eric Douglas and Cam Smith, as well as graduate assistant Zeb Noland and team doctor Jeff Guy.
“It was a good experience, seeing my guys I came in with,” Williams said. “It was a good experience and I had fun. I just wish we would have came up with the victory.
“When I was on that field, I didn’t think about friendship. I just thought about competing and performing to the top of my ability.”
Williams has thrived at Georgia State and made the move from offense to defense. He rushed for 859 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
Williams was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, honoring the top running backs in the nation.
“I like getting my name called a little bit. It is fun,” Williams said. ”I like to make big plays and being exciting. I really have fun out there.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2022 at 1:16 AM.
