Sunday, the  's drafted ,  native Jesse Williams in the fifth round of the . Going into the draft, there were some expectations by the and other media outlets that Williams might be selected in the first round. Injuries, which resulted in Williams being unable to participate fully in the NFL Combine, likely were reasons why he was not selected higher. is not the most popular football code in Australia, with , , and all being more popular participation sports. Williams' youth sporting career reflected this, with Williams playing rugby union until he was 15 years old at which time he switched codes and joined the local gridiron team, the Bayside Ravens. A year later, his playing ability earned him a scholarship offer from the . He could not meet the university's academic standards so eventually he attended instead. In 2011, he transferred to the and played for the for two seasons. Both seasons, his Crimson Tide team won the national championship.
Sunday, the NFL 's drafted , Australia native Jesse Williams in the fifth round of the . Going into the draft, there were some expectations by the and other media outlets that Williams might be selected in the first round. Injuries, which resulted in Williams being unable to participate fully in the NFL Combine, likely were reasons why he was not selected higher. is not the most popular football code in Australia, with , rugby union, soccer, and Australian rules football all being more popular participation sports. Williams' youth sporting career reflected this, with Williams playing rugby union until he was 15 years old at which time he switched codes and joined the local gridiron team, the Bayside Ravens. A year later, his playing ability earned him a scholarship offer from the . He could not meet the university's academic standards so eventually he attended instead. In 2011, he transferred to the and played for the for two seasons. Both seasons, his Crimson Tide team won the national championship.
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rugby union, soccer, and Australian rules football