Quincy University Hawks

2024 (Senior): In his first season with the Hawks, Williams saw action in all ten games and made five tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and had one pass breakup. He made his debut in a Hawk uniform against Lincoln (9/7/24), where he recorded his first career tackle.
-    GLVC Academic All-Conference

2023 (Junior at Kentucky): Appeared in three games, making his SEC and collegiate debut against South Carolina (11/18/23).

2022 (Sophomore at Kentucky): Did not see action.
-    SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

2021 (Freshman at Kentucky): Did not see action
-    First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll

Personal: Born in Lake Forest, Illinois, and a graduate of Lake Forest High School, Jai is the son of Joi Artis and James “Big Cat” Williams. His father played 12 seasons (1991–2003) in the NFL, primarily with the Chicago Bears, and is recognized as one of the “100 Greatest Bears of All-Time.” Jai has one younger sister, Jia, and is majoring in architecture at Kentucky. While his ultimate dream is to play in the NFL, he also aspires to become an architect. Off the field, he enjoys snowboarding and is known for his skill in dodge ball.

At Lake Forest High School, Jai was a two-year starter under head coach Chuck Spagnoli. He made a significant impact as both a linebacker and tight end, contributing on all four special teams units. His senior season was played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19, during which he was voted a team co-captain. As a junior, he helped lead Lake Forest to a 7-5 record and a berth in the Class 6A state quarterfinals. That same year, he earned All-North Suburban Conference honors and was selected to participate in the 2019 Illinois High School All-Star Shrine football game in Bloomington. In addition to football, Williams was a standout wrestler and rugby player, earning All-State wrestling honors in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Why QU?
I chose QU to continue my football career.