Alabama football receiver Germie Bernard posted the tone-setting photo before kickoff.
Bernard was in front as the one taking the selfie inside the Crimson Tide locker room. Then he posted it to his Instagram story. Five receivers stood behind him, but no one was more noticeable than freshman Ryan Williams.
He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t posing. To put it mildly, Williams looked ready to run somebody over.
“Before the game, I was just like, ‘this will be me today,’“ Williams said.
It was. Almost instantly.
Williams' efforts put the game virtually out of Mercer’s reach immediately. He scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, which Alabama turned into a 52-7 victory over the Bears on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Williams scored his first touchdown on a 29-yard run, giving Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) a quick 7-0 lead not even five minutes into the game. The second score occurred on a 14-yard reception by Williams that put the Crimson Tide up 14-0 with 4:08 left in the first quarter.
Mercer never had a chance from there.
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Those two scores put Williams at 10 touchdowns on the year with eight receiving and two rushing. Not bad for a true freshman.
“When we call on him or when we need him to make a play, he’s ready, and he’s just consistent each and every day,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “Just a joy to be around. Got a smile on his face.”
And Williams' strong freshman season still has plenty of time left in it for him to make plays. Next, Alabama will face Oklahoma on the road before a home Iron Bowl against Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium. From there, the Crimson Tide could play in the SEC Championship Game and College Football Playoff.
Also known as more opportunities for Williams to shine.
“There’s just a maturity about him that’s well beyond his years,” DeBoer said. “I think we know how he old he is, right? It’s just really cool.”
All of the upcoming games will be tougher than what Mercer presented. Still, consider what Williams showed Saturday to be a warning. An indication of what’s to come the rest of the season.
Look less so at his multi-touchdown performance against the Bears and more so at the intense locker-room look before the Mercer game.
“It was a good outcome,” Williams said, “so might see that face more often.”
Beware, college football.
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.