ARKANSAWYERS #3: DJ Williams on Razorback, NIL & The Business of College Football
DJ Williams spent his career on the field, first as a John Mackey Award-winning tight end for the Razorbacks, then five seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Episode notes
DJ Williams spent his career on the field, first as a John Mackey Award-winning tight end for the Razorbacks, then five seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Now, as host of the Fourth and Fifteen podcast, he's spent just as much time thinking about what's actually happening behind the scenes of college football. In this episode of Arkansawyers, Eli Cranor talks with DJ about the real story behind NIL deals and revenue sharing, why the old "student-athlete" model was built to keep players from getting paid, and why he thinks a program like Indiana's recent turnaround has less to do with money than people assume. They also get into life in an NFL locker room, why the game itself has never been more popular despite all the noise around it, and the high school coach who changed the course of DJ's life. If you love football, or you're just trying to understand what's actually going on in college sports right now, this conversation breaks it down from someone who's lived every side of it. In this conversation:
- The truth behind NIL, collectives, and revenue sharing
- Why "student-athlete" was never about protecting players
- What's really behind Indiana's success
- Life in an NFL locker room vs. college
- The coach who shaped DJ's life on and off the field