Prep talk: Andrew Williams shows the way from Fremont to USC
Fremont High is less than five miles from USC, but it might as well be in another state, because it’s been difficult for football players from the inner city of Los Angeles to end up signing with the Trojans.
On Wednesday, Fremont All-City defensive end Andrew Williams signed with USC, the first inner city signee since Joseph Lewis and Greg Johnson signed from Hawkins High in 2017.
Fremont coach Derek Benton said he recognized the significance of the achievement.
“It’s historical for the city and the school for an African American to have this moment,” he said.
USC has signed City Section athletes in recent years. Anthony Beavers (2021), Joshua Jackson (2020) and Raymond Scott (2018) all came from Narbonne.
Williams is perhaps Fremont’s best college prospect since receiver Mark Bradford, who graduated in 2003 and went on to be a standout at Stanford. The late Ricky Bell was a star running back for the Trojans in the 1970s from Fremont before becoming an NFL first-round draft pick.
Williams is 6 feet 5, 220 pounds and had 10 sacks this past season.
Living 10 blocks from Fremont with his grandmother since he was 7, Williams said he didn’t discover football until his freshman year. He said he had too much free time until reaching high school and finding something to focus on. USC assistant coach Chad Savage spotted him when he was an assistant for Colorado State.
Now he’ll get to be a trendsetter to show others the path to college.
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