The 49ers had taken Joe Williams off their draft board. Though head coach Kyle Shanahan loved what he’d seen from the Utah running back, general manager John Lynch was turned off by the fact that Williams had left his team for four games during the 2016 season. Despite that, Williams still managed to put up incredible numbers when he was on the field last year, rushing for 1,407 yards on 6.7 yards per carry.
Shanahan was so impressed by Williams’ ability, he suggested that Lynch give him a call before the 49ers were slated to draft in the 4th round. The call went well, so much so that Lynch was no longer apprehensive about Williams’ desire, and the 49ers wound up selecting a player that Shanahan couldn’t get out of his mind since watching his tape.
Lynch was ultimately swayed after learning the details of why Williams took a sabbatical last season, coming to the realization that he did not so much quit on his team, but was mentally unable to play as he dealt with the death of his 7-year-old sister.
Williams’ head coach at Utah, Kyle Whittingham, joined the Murph and Mac show on Friday morning, and expalined the situation, also saying that Williams was ecstatic that he still had a chance to play football in the NFL.
“He was rejuvenated and he was so excited after the season that he may have a chance to play at the next level, and I fielded my phone calls from many front offices and scouts and GMs and so fourth, and I told them all the same thing, that it wasn’t a matter of Joe quitting on his team,” Whittingham said. “He didn’t flat out just quit on us, he just couldn’t do it anymore. He was in a bad place on a lot of different levels, and he couldn’t physically or mentally carry on. When we brought him back, before we did so, I made sure I checked with the football team and his peers and our leadership council that they were okay with it, and they were absolutely in favor of it, so it’s not like he deserted our team. He hit a wall, and I think that really speaks to how our team felt about him, when they embraced him with open arms, when he came back after the layoff.”
Williams sister died in 2006, from an undiagnosed heart condition. Williams, 15-years-old at the time, saw her fall out of bed that evening, and has always blamed himself for not saving her life.
Listen to the full interview below.