Why Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams is No. 1 in his hometown, No. 2 in the program

Being the first player from his university selected in the NFL Draft since 1976 was cause for celebration for Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams — and Fayetteville State — last year.

Imagine the emotions after the season, when Williams made major contributions to the Chiefs’ playoff run that ended with a Super Bowl victory and included an interception against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.

Williams was presented a key to the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina at a city council meeting in June, a humbling experience for someone who played nearly every down of football for hometown teams before reaching the NFL.

“Everybody was happy for me,” Williams said. “They feel like they won a ring they won a championship, and they should. They supported me all the way. There are so many Chiefs fans back there now. I love my city more than they’ll ever know.”

Now, it’s on to the next thing for Williams, and that’s continuing to battle for snaps in the Chiefs’ secondary. He was one of five defensive backs drafted by the Chiefs in 2022, a group position coach Dave Merritt dubbed the Fab Five: corners Williams, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson and safety Bryan Cook.

Among the corners, McDuffie and fourth year pro L’Jarius Sneed have been consistently operating with the starters this summer, with Williams, Watson and Johnson also getting first-team snaps.

The dynamic changed Saturday when Johnson suffered a torn ACL, a blow for the team and his teammates. Johnson had been having a solid camp and was an important special teams contributor.

“Seeing something like that happen to someone I’m close with, it hurt to see that,” Williams said.

Williams said he and and Johnson spoke Saturday after the injury and again on Sunday, and it was Johnson who lifted Williams’ spirits.

“He’s telling me, use him as inspiration,” Williams said. “He’s saying go out and give it your all.”

Last season, Williams started four of 17 games, picked up his first NFL interception against the San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy Garappolo and played 38% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps.

The fourth-round draft pick has turned in big plays during this year’s training camp scrimmages. He came up with a deflected interception last week and had a nifty pass breakup in the end zone during a red zone period on Sunday.

The next step?

“The little things,” Williams said. “Of course, you can always work on the playbook. And technique things, things that got me in trouble last year, like penalties. Working on my game as a whole.”

Williams was called for four penalties last season, two for illegal use of hands and one each for holding and pass interference.

With a new season comes a new uniform number. Williams has switched from No. 23 to No. 2. Linebacker Drue Tranquil has assumed Williams’ former number.

For Williams, the change harkens back to his college days at Fayetteville State, just as No. 23 is what Tranquil wore at Notre Dame.

“Kind of a mutual thing,” Williams said. “I’d think everybody would want to wear the college number.”