Pooka Williams Jr. facts for kids

Anthony "Pooka" Williams Jr. (born June 19, 1999) is an American professional football player. He is a talented running back for the Massachusetts Pirates in the Indoor Football League (IFL). Before joining the pros, he played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Pooka was a standout player in college. He was named to the First Team All-Big 12 as both a freshman and a sophomore. This is a big honor in college football! In 2021, he joined the Cincinnati Bengals as a player who wasn't chosen in the main draft.

High School Football Career

Pooka Williams Jr. got his special nickname "Pooka" from his grandmother when he was a child. He grew up playing football in Boutte, Louisiana. He went to Hahnville High School.

During his senior year of high school, Pooka was amazing on the field. He ran for over 3,100 yards and scored 37 touchdowns. His team, Hahnville, made it all the way to the Louisiana 5A State Championship game. For his incredible performance that year, he was given the "Louisiana Mr. Football" award.

Many top colleges wanted Pooka to play for them. He was considered a four-star recruit, which means he was one of the best young players in the country. He chose to commit to the University of Kansas on February 12, 2017.

College Football Journey

Pooka Williams Jr. joined the Kansas Jayhawks in 2018. He was a very important player for their team.

Freshman Season Highlights

Pooka played his first college game against Central Michigan. He quickly showed his skills by running for 125 yards and scoring two touchdowns. He helped Kansas win their first road game since 2009. The next week, he ran for 161 yards and another touchdown.

He continued to have great games, running for over 100 yards two more times. One of his best games was against Oklahoma, where he rushed for an amazing 252 yards. Pooka finished his first season with 1,125 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. Because of his excellent play, he was named First Team All-Big 12 and the Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore Season Achievements

Before his sophomore season, Pooka was named Preseason First Team All-Big 12. He missed the first game of the season. In his first game back, he ran for 99 yards. The next week, he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown against Boston College. This win was very special for the Jayhawks. It was their first road win against a major conference team in 48 games!

Pooka ran for over 100 yards three more times that season. He had a season-high of 190 yards in a close game against Texas. He finished his sophomore year with 1,042 rushing yards. This made him only the second Kansas player to rush for over 1,000 yards in two seasons in a row. He also broke a record held by College Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers for most rushing yards in a player's first two seasons. For the second year in a row, he was named First Team All-Big 12.

Junior Season and Moving On

In July 2020, Pooka was again named Pre-season First Team All-Big 12. He was also on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, which goes to the best player in the nation. In the first game of his junior season, he rushed for 67 yards. The next week, he scored two touchdowns against Baylor.

On October 18, he was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week. This was because he returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown against West Virginia. The very next day, Pooka announced he would stop playing for the rest of the season. He wanted to be closer to his mother and family in Louisiana because she was having health issues.

He decided to enter the 2021 NFL draft on December 6, 2020. Pooka ended his college career with 2,363 rushing yards. This ranks him 9th all-time in Kansas history. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 12 rushing touchdowns.

College Statistics Overview

Professional Football Journey

After his college career, Pooka Williams Jr. hoped to be drafted into the NFL. He was seen as one of the top running backs available.

Time in the NFL

Even though he wasn't chosen in the main NFL Draft, Pooka signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on May 14, 2021. This meant he joined the team as an "undrafted free agent." He even got to play with his former Kansas teammate, Hakeem Adeniji, there. The Bengals tried Pooka out as a wide receiver.

He was later added to the Bengals' practice squad. On December 4, 2021, he was moved up to the active team roster. He made his NFL debut playing mostly as the team's kick returner against the Los Angeles Chargers. He signed another contract with the Bengals in February 2022 but was later released in August 2022.

Playing in the XFL and UFL

Pooka was then drafted by the DC Defenders in the 2023 XFL Draft. The XFL is another professional football league. He moved between a few teams in the XFL, including the St. Louis BattleHawks, before returning to the DC Defenders.

In 2024, he was selected by the DC Defenders again for the new United Football League (UFL). He was later released and then signed with the San Antonio Brahmas in May 2024.

Joining the IFL

On January 16, 2025, Pooka Williams Jr. signed with the Massachusetts Pirates. This team plays in the Indoor Football League (IFL). He continues his professional football career there.

Personal Life

On July 19, 2021, Pooka Williams Jr. shared exciting news on his Twitter page. He announced that he and his partner were expecting their first child, a baby girl.