At Super Bowl 60 opening night, Patriots WR Kyle Williams rocks WSU gear
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Even with the gear Kyle Williams is rocking on opening night at Super Bowl 60, a chance for both his New England Patriots and opposing Seattle Seahawks to meet with fans and reporters in a sprawling ballroom in the heart of San Jose, it’s clear he’s thrilled. The rookie wide receiver is wearing a thick pair of white Oakley shades and a ballcap over a do-rag, but when he’s greeted by a pair of reporters from Washington state, where Williams authored a sparkling two-year career, he knows exactly what to do.
He grabs the zipper to his white Patriots fleece jacket and pulls it down, enough to reveal his white undershirt, which is adorned with the crimson WSU logo on the right.
Some 14 months have passed since Williams completed his second and final season with the Cougars, totaling 131 receptions for 2,040 yards and 20 touchdowns in two seasons, but it’s clear where his alma mater stands in his head, in his heart.
“It’s a school that took me in with open arms,” Williams said, “that’s big on family, that camaraderie between the fans and the school. I think it just speaks well on what type of products that the Palouse produces.”
On Sunday, Williams will take part in the Super Bowl, which isn’t the kind of sentence he saw applying to his life so early in his pro career. In his first NFL campaign, he’s hauled in 10 catches for 209 yards and three touchdowns, playing in all 17 games. He hasn’t been at the front of New England’s receiver rotation – those honors have belonged to veterans Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins – but he’s made a splash all the same, cashing in on the opportunities that have come his way.
He recorded his first professional touchdown in early November, turning a short catch into a 72-yard burst into the end zone. A few weeks later, in a Monday Night contest against the New York Giants, he jetted up the sideline and reeled in a 33-yard score from quarterback Drake Maye. And in late December, he gave the same treatment to veteran Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who couldn’t stop Williams from bringing in a 37-yard touchdown strike – a critical development in a four-point win for New England.
Williams has thrived as a deep threat, same as he did at WSU, where he ranks No. 3 in program history with 1,198 single-season receiving yards. In his 25 games at WSU, the 6-foot Williams recorded seven 100-yard games, tied for 10th-most in program history. That includes Williams’ 172-yard game against Syracuse in last season’s Holiday Bowl, the most in the bowl game’s 45-game history.
After spending the first three years of his college career at UNLV, Williams accumulated an extensive list of accomplishments at WSU. In 2024, he tallied multiple 100-yard outings in games against FCS Portland State, San Jose State, Boise State, New Mexico and Syracuse. Recording the Cougars’ first 1,000-yard season since 2019, Williams also posted three touchdowns apiece against Utah State and New Mexico, becoming the first Cougar in program history with back-to-back games with three receiving scores.
But he isn’t the only WSU alum set to play in Sunday’s Super Bowl. The Seahawks’ starting right tackle is Abe Lucas, who played at Washington State from 2017-2021, starting four years and playing 42 games total. The first four-time All-Pac-12 Conference offensive lineman in program history, Lucas and Williams share an agency, which is how Williams once met Lucas in the offseason, he said.
“He’s bigger in person than he is in the pictures,” Williams laughed, referring to Lucas, who is listed at 6-foot-6 and 322 pounds. “He’s a great guy, and I can’t wait to see him.”