Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Five Questions with Jaboree Williams
5/23/2022 12:27:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“I went out a winner. And it just felt like the greatest thing ever.” - Jaboree Williams
Jaboree Williams was recruited to Wake Forest by coach Jim Grobe, but played the first four years of the Dave Clawson era, finishing his career with 141 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions. He was part of the group of players who persevered through back-to-back 3-9 seasons as Clawson rebuilt the program, going out with consecutive bowl victories in the Military Bowl and Belk Bowl.
Williams just earned the Most Valuable Player Award in Japan's X-League, before heading home to Florida for a couple of months during the offseason. He recently caught up with Deacon Sports Xtra for this Five Questions feature.
What was your career highlight at Wake Forest?
Williams: "I probably would say winning the Belk Bowl. Winning the Belk Bowl with those guys and being able to see Wake Forest beating an SEC team in Texas A&M. We knew that was the next step that we needed to take to help Wake Forest sail to different heights at that point. So, that was one of the greatest moments of my life, because I got to do it with the guys I love so much. And I got to do it at the Panther Stadium. It was my last game of my college career, I went out a winner. And it just felt like the greatest thing ever."
How great was it to go out with the 11-tackle performance in the Belk Bowl while also grabbing an interception?
Williams: "They had one of the best in the country at that time, Christian Kirk. And they got some weapons. You know you're going to give up points, but we knew at some point when it mattered most we would get to stop it. We believed in each other and we got those stops. And that's probably the best, the funnest I've had on the field in a long time with those guys. Even though we gave up a lot of points, we were just having fun with each other."
How did the Florida schools allow you to escape the state and sign with Wake Forest?
Williams: "I actually had a Miami offer when I was in high school, I just didn't want to go to any Florida school. Only school that I would've gone to, if they would offer me, probably would've been Florida State. I had all the Florida schools except for Florida and Florida State. But I just didn't want to go. I just didn't want to go to any of them. I wanted to try and get away from home, do something different in life. I feel like I was in Florida my whole life. I just wanted to try something new, to be honest."
At what point in your college career did it sink in that your decision to come to Wake Forest was a sound one?
Williams: "I'll probably say my sophomore year because freshman year, it was just tough, sitting on the bench. You want to, you come in as a freshman. I played like a true freshman. I feel like I should be playing more than I should have been. And it was kind of rough until sophomore year. Sophomore year just kind of sat myself down and said, 'Hey man, you got to look yourself in the mirror. And you got to get it together.' Because I probably would've played more, if I knew the playbook as much as I did as I got older, because athletically, I was there, I was good. I just didn't know the plays. And that's why I played sporadically over the time when I was there in my freshman year."
Is the continued success of the program surprising at all?
Williams: "Not surprised at all. I knew it would come. I just wish it came with us. But I knew it would come. Coach Clawson had the plan, he had the master plan. He knows what he is doing. With just trusting him and his plan, I knew they would get there someday. And I wouldn't be surprised if next they'll be winning the ACC Championship and going to bigger stages.
"But after getting in there we had a rough start, but Clawson's a great guy. I love that man to death. And I'm very thankful that he was there in my four years because he's taught me a lot about life in itself. And he's just a great dude."
Williams just earned the Most Valuable Player Award in Japan's X-League, before heading home to Florida for a couple of months during the offseason. He recently caught up with Deacon Sports Xtra for this Five Questions feature.
What was your career highlight at Wake Forest?
Williams: "I probably would say winning the Belk Bowl. Winning the Belk Bowl with those guys and being able to see Wake Forest beating an SEC team in Texas A&M. We knew that was the next step that we needed to take to help Wake Forest sail to different heights at that point. So, that was one of the greatest moments of my life, because I got to do it with the guys I love so much. And I got to do it at the Panther Stadium. It was my last game of my college career, I went out a winner. And it just felt like the greatest thing ever."
How great was it to go out with the 11-tackle performance in the Belk Bowl while also grabbing an interception?
Williams: "They had one of the best in the country at that time, Christian Kirk. And they got some weapons. You know you're going to give up points, but we knew at some point when it mattered most we would get to stop it. We believed in each other and we got those stops. And that's probably the best, the funnest I've had on the field in a long time with those guys. Even though we gave up a lot of points, we were just having fun with each other."
How did the Florida schools allow you to escape the state and sign with Wake Forest?
Williams: "I actually had a Miami offer when I was in high school, I just didn't want to go to any Florida school. Only school that I would've gone to, if they would offer me, probably would've been Florida State. I had all the Florida schools except for Florida and Florida State. But I just didn't want to go. I just didn't want to go to any of them. I wanted to try and get away from home, do something different in life. I feel like I was in Florida my whole life. I just wanted to try something new, to be honest."
At what point in your college career did it sink in that your decision to come to Wake Forest was a sound one?
Williams: "I'll probably say my sophomore year because freshman year, it was just tough, sitting on the bench. You want to, you come in as a freshman. I played like a true freshman. I feel like I should be playing more than I should have been. And it was kind of rough until sophomore year. Sophomore year just kind of sat myself down and said, 'Hey man, you got to look yourself in the mirror. And you got to get it together.' Because I probably would've played more, if I knew the playbook as much as I did as I got older, because athletically, I was there, I was good. I just didn't know the plays. And that's why I played sporadically over the time when I was there in my freshman year."
Is the continued success of the program surprising at all?
Williams: "Not surprised at all. I knew it would come. I just wish it came with us. But I knew it would come. Coach Clawson had the plan, he had the master plan. He knows what he is doing. With just trusting him and his plan, I knew they would get there someday. And I wouldn't be surprised if next they'll be winning the ACC Championship and going to bigger stages.
"But after getting in there we had a rough start, but Clawson's a great guy. I love that man to death. And I'm very thankful that he was there in my four years because he's taught me a lot about life in itself. And he's just a great dude."
Wake Forest Women's Golf: Kim Lewellen Women's History Month Feature
Monday, March 16
Men's Basketball Postgame Presser vs. Clemson, 2026 ACC Tournament
Thursday, March 12
Wake Forest Women's Basketball: Mary Carter Women's History Month Feature
Wednesday, March 11
Sebastian Akins Tough
Wednesday, March 11