Williams earns defensive MVP honors at Hula Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. - Carson-Newman defensive back Major Williams (Fort Myers, Fla.) has been named the defensive MVP of the 2025 Hula Bowl.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Carson-Newman defensive back Major Williams (Fort Myers, Fla.) has been named the defensive MVP of the 2025 Hula Bowl.
Williams' Team Aina beat Team Kai in Orlando by a final score of 10-3, Saturday afternoon.
Williams snared an interception of Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers deep in Team Kai territory. A few plays later Memphis running back and former Newberry Wolf Mario Anderson Jr. scored the only touchdown of the day with a three-yard run into the end zone. This gave Team Aina its seven-point lead. Anderson was named the game's offensive MVP for his work.
Williams, strangely enough, is the second straight All-American DB with the surname Williams to represent the Eagles in a postseason all-star game. Darius Williams was selected for the East-West Shrine Game in 2019.
Williams is the first two-time All-American since offensive lineman Phil McDowell went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. Williams continues a sensational run by Carson-Newman defensive backs, joining Desmond Fairell (2019), Darius Williams, no relation (2017), Jerry Miclisse (2016) and Eien Jacob (2014) as DBs to have earned All-America status in the last decade. That gives C-N six All-American DBs in the last 10 years. C-N has 21 All-America defensive backs all-time. Williams is the first defensive back to earn All-America honors in two different seasons since Montrea Ford in 1998 and 1999.
Williams is fifth on the team in tackles with 53. He has 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks with a pick. He also produced the first defensive PAT for the Eagles in a decade in Carson-Newman's win over Wingate in week three.
Williams had a career-high 10 tackles that day against the Bulldogs and also produced his lone pick of the season.
He finished his three-year career with 155 tackles, four picks, two fumble recoveries, 30 pass breakups and four non-offensive touchdowns.
Prior to Darius' selection (unrelated), Carson-Newman last had a player chosen for an all-star game in 2015 when quarterback De'Andre Thomas and running back Damian Baker represented the Eagles in the USA College Bowl, while safety Emmanuel Orange played in the Dream Bowl. Thomas and TraShaun Ward also played against one another in the National Bowl.
Prior to 2015, the last Eagles to participate in an all-star game came in 2009 when running back Buck Wakefield and defensive end Donte Strickland both played in the Valero Cactus Bowl in January 2010.
