NC State’s James Smith-Williams Accepts Invitation to Play in East-West Shrine Bowl

NC State Graduate Redshirt Senior Defensive End James Smith-Williams has accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Last year, the Wolfpack had two players play in the East-West game: Punter A.J. Cole and Offensive Tackle Tyler Jones. The year before that, Defensive End Kentavius Street and Offensive Guard Tony Adams played in the annual showcase.

Smith-Williams has been dinged up all year, but has 20 tackles (1 for loss), 1 sack and 7 QB Hurries in 7 games in 2019. He was 3rd on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s Preseason list of the Top Freaks in College Football.

No player on this entire list has had the type of transformation that Smith-Williams has had. He arrived five years ago weighing a spindly 196 pounds. Now he’s a hulking 265. He benches 420, doing 27 reps at 225. He squats 620 and cleans 374. Smith-Williams vertical jumps 40 inches and has clocked a 4.43 in his pro agility time. Earlier this week, he ran an electronically timed 40 at 4.58. The hand time was 4.52. (Athletic)