Latest news with #AndrewWilliams
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Surprise USC Commit Sends Profound Message for Kids in his Region
Surprise USC Commit Sends Profound Message for Kids in his Region originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Not every USC 2026 commit is a four or five-star talent. The Trojans detected a little known talent who told the Los Angeles Times he had no stars or any mention on national recruiting sites. But helps comprise the nation's top-ranked class. Advertisement Andrew Williams of Fremont High in Los Angeles now hopes his recruiting journey sends a message. One that instills hope for kids in his region. Williams stars in the L.A. City Section -- which once was a hotbed for the Pete Carroll-led USC teams on the recruiting trail. USC discovered then offered the edge rusher in February. Yet Williams represents an area that's seen a drop off in talent. Plus has watched kids from his area get siphoned by private schools. The 6-foot-5 pass rusher, however, stayed loyal to his high school and region. And sent this message via the Los Angeles Times' Eric Sondheimer on Sunday. Nov 26, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans linebacker Eric Gentry (18) enters the field before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesKirby Lee-Imagn Images "I'm comfortable with people looking up to me,' he said. 'Somebody in the city is actually doing it. Just as I can do it, so can you," Williams began. Advertisement He wasn't through dropping an inspirational gem to kids in the same shoes as he's in. "I feel I was one of the least privileged kids,' he added. 'To have the opportunity I'm doing I was another 6-5 kid that wasn't from South Central, I would have been known. They would have shot me up the rankings. They don't show that in the city I love. That's cool. That's for them to keep sleeping on us.' Trojans defensive line coach Eric Henderson called Williams around 7 a.m. to offer him, Williams revealed in tracing back to his commitment day. He also drew the attention of wide receivers coach Chad Savage -- who discovered him while as an assistant with Colorado State. Williams made his decision during lunch hours at school and conversed with both Henderson and Lincoln Riley to reveal his commitment to USC. Advertisement The 3.8 student is hoping his commitment to USC launches a rebirth in colleges pursuing City Section talent again. Williams became one of USC's early 2026 commits before Riley and the Trojans started flipping Oregon Ducks (Jonas Williams and Tomuhini Topui) and pursued the four and five stars. Williams, meanwhile, is now listed as a three-star on 247Sports and On3/Rivals. Related: Big Ten Rival Hands USC Huge Recruiting Blow This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
USC commit Andrew Williams proves the City Section still has football talent
It was 7 a.m., and Fremont High's Andrew Williams was sleeping at his grandmother's house in South Los Angeles when she woke him up to tell him a USC football coach wanted to speak to him on her cellphone before he went to school. Williams will never forget that moment on Feb. 12. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson was calling to officially offer him a scholarship to play for the Trojans. Advertisement 'You don't believe it until you see it,' he said. 'When he told me in his tone and how serious he was, I knew it was real. It was destiny calling. It took me a couple hours to reflect what was going on. I was stunned.' By lunch time in the school quad, while surrounded by friends and classmates, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Williams was calling Henderson to tell him, 'I'm ready to become a Trojan.' Henderson replied, 'Hold on. I have someone who wants to speak to you.' Coach Lincoln Riley joined the called. 'He said, 'We're so excited to have you here.' It was genuine,' he said. Fremont High senior Andrew Williams has shown his versatility as a defensive end, tight end and fullback. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) Williams was so unknown in the recruiting world before committing to USC last February that he said, 'I wasn't mentioned by any recruiting sites. I had no stars. Honestly it didn't make me feel any different. I was the same player before the stars and without the stars. Most people still don't know about me.' Advertisement He said a three-touchdown, 10-tackle performance as a junior against L.A. Jordan last fall while playing fullback, defensive end and receiver caught the attention of Colorado State assistant Chad Savage, who later joined USC as an assistant. Recruiting players from inner city Los Angeles used to be a priority for USC and UCLA. Fremont grad Ricky Bell, a star running back for USC, has his name on the Pathfinders' stadium. Fremont grad Mark Bradford was a star receiver at Stanford. Crenshaw has sent numerous players to USC and UCLA. Dorsey's head coach, Stafon Johnson, was a standout running back for the Trojans. But a drop in talent in the City Section has made identifying potential success stories more difficult. Williams, who has a 3.8 grade point average and plans to graduate in December, said he hopes to be part of the start of a rebirth in championing players from the inner city. 'I'm comfortable with people looking up to me,' he said. 'Somebody in the city is actually doing it. Just as I can do it, so can you.' Advertisement He doesn't doubt the road ahead remains difficult. "I feel I was one of the least privileged kids," he said. "To have the opportunity I'm doing now. … If I was another 6-5 kid that wasn't from South Central, I would have been known. They would have shot me up the rankings. They don't show that in the city I love. That's cool. That's for them to keep sleeping on us." Read more: Garfield, Roosevelt prepare to open new football stadiums this fall Living 10 blocks from Fremont with his grandmother since he was 7, Williams said he didn't discover football until his freshman year. He said he had too much free time until reaching high school and finding something to focus on. Advertisement 'Have you heard the saying, 'People get stuck and lost in the system?' People become a product of their environment," he said. "I needed time to figure my way out. I came to a realization when I came to high school that something was going to have to happen.' With his height, athleticism — he can dunk — and agility — he also ran track — USC will watch him this fall to see whether his position will be tight end or defensive end. He's a raw, intriguing prospect with lots of room to become stronger. First-year Fremont coach Derek Benton was the coach at Jordan last season when Williams had his big game. "He made his mark against me, then I knew and heard about him and it was one of the attractions coming here," he said. "I'm very impressed with Andrew as a person." Advertisement All Williams wanted was an opportunity to get a degree in college. He wants to study communications and learn about sports broadcasting. He said he didn't need to visit multiple colleges or seek attention from social media. The USC offer was enough. 'Football teaches you can't expect results without work,' he said. 'People expect things in life, but they don't put the work in. That's a lesson football teaches you. It teaches unity, leadership, how to treat others.' He has been rewarded for making good decisions and surrounding himself with people who want to see him succeed. All he's ever wanted was a chance to prove himself. 'I'm doing my thing,' he said. Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DHL Express Canada Seeks ‘Anti-Scab' Law Exemption, Citing ‘Essential' Services
DHL Express Canada suspended operations nationwide on Friday as the company no longer could continue using replacement workers to fill the void of the more than 2,100 employees it locked out earlier this month. But the logistics giant is still holding out hope to be exempt from Canada's 'anti-scab' Bill C-58 legislation that went into effect Friday so it can resume regular business. That law bans replacement workers from being used in labor disputes such as strikes or lockouts, and subjects companies to a $100,000 per day fine. More from Sourcing Journal EU's Supply Chain Rules Receive 'Another Blow' as Member States Propose Deeper Cuts WTO to Intervene in Trade Disputes Between Canada and China California Government Report Assesses a Decade of Changes in Retail Crime DHL locked out the series of couriers, truck drivers and warehouse workers on June 8 when months-long contract negotiations ended with no new deal in place, with the union workers opting to go on strike in retaliation. On June 14, DHL Express Americas CEO Andrew Williams and DHL Express Canada CEO Geoff Walsh co-penned a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and jobs minister Patty Hajdu, saying that the new legislation poses significant risks to Canada's supply chain, particularly the essential services the company provides. The CEOs reasoned that while some organizations may be able to temporarily shift production during a work stoppage, 'as a service provider we are either open or we are closed.' They argued that the ripple effects of a temporary closure of the business could lead to increased consumer prices, reduced availability of goods and further job losses across the economy. 'Our operations not only facilitate trade and bolster local economies but also ensure that essential goods are delivered efficiently and reliably,' the DHL execs wrote. 'However, the ban on replacement workers during strikes threatens to severely undermine our operational capabilities, forcing us to halt operations and communicate to our global network that Canada is effectively closed for trade. This is a very difficult position for any organization and especially one such as DHL Express, that just a few years back was deemed an essential service during the pandemic.' Lana Payne, the national president of Unifor, the union representing the DHL Express employees, pushed back against claims in her own letter to Canadian government officials. Payne said that in the month ahead of the start of contract negotiations on Oct. 1 last year, both Unifor and DHL agreed that there were no 'essential services' performed by members of the bargaining unit which were necessary to prevent an immediate and serious danger to the safety or health of the public. 'This is in stark contrast to the grandiose position DHL is taking today in which it characterizes its operations as 'critical' to the supply chain and the economic wellbeing of Canada as a whole,' said Payne. 'To be clear, DHL is not even one of the top four express package delivery companies in Canada and DHL workers represent fewer than 0.7 percent of all local delivery workers and less than 15 percent of all courier workers in the country.' And while Williams and Walsh also accused Unifor of intentionally stalling discussions to coincide with the impending implementation of Bill C-58, Payne denied the allegations. She also said that DHL knowingly triggered the lockout on June 8 despite knowing that the law was going into effect just 12 days later. Unifor is seeking a 22 percent salary increase for hourly employees, as well as a 42 percent salary increase for owner-operators of trucks, with the DHL execs saying in their letter that 'such demands jeopardize our operational viability.' The company had proposed a 15 percent wage increase over five years for hourly workers. The union's DHL bargaining committee responded to the letter with its own statement, indicating that the company 'throws out numbers to make the union's proposals seem unreasonable.' The labor group said its proposals reflect the reality of rising costs. 'For owner-operators, any proposed increases are directly tied to soaring fuel prices, growing vehicle operation costs and a fair wage increase that keeps pace with inflation, realities DHL has consistently refused to recognize,' the statement read. Unifor gave its gripes about DHL's demand of 'significant concessions that would severely hurt workers,' making claims that the company has changed the driver pay system in a way that would result in less money for drivers, and attempted to reduce the daily minimum guarantee for them. Additionally, the union brass repeated a claim that truck drivers have been able to travel up to 100 kilometers with no compensation. The union said DHL refuses to acknowledge and provide wage adjustments to customer service reps and employees within other classifications, and accused the logistics company of not recognizing any potential job losses that may occur using AI.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The shocking link between a grandmother and a young mum she allegedly ran off the road before stabbing her and a child
A grandmother who allegedly stabbed her son's partner and a 10-year-old boy in a roadside rampage shared a home the woman she is accused of attacking. Julie Ann Williams, 59, lived with her builder son Andrew Williams and his 27-year-old girlfriend Kellie Parkes in a house south of Sydney at Horsley, near Wollongong. On Wednesday evening, Williams allegedly stopped Ms Parkes on West Dapto Rd in Wongawilli, before she got out of her own car and approached her vehicle, which sparked a heated confrontation. The older woman then allegedly pulled out a knife, leaned through the front passenger window of Ms Parkes's car and stabbed a 10-year-old boy in the neck. When Ms Parkes got out of her vehicle, Williams allegedly stabbed her in the abdomen. Ms Parkes and the boy suffered serious stab wounds and were treated at the scene by paramedics about 6pm. The boy was airlifted to Sydney and Ms Parkes was taken to Wollongong Hospital. A three-year-old boy who was also in Ms Parkes's car escaped the incident unharmed and was in the care of a family member. The alleged attack took place just a three-minute drive from where Williams, her son and Ms Parkes lived together. Police arrested Williams at the Horsley house about 6.30pm on Wednesday and seized her car from the premises later that night. Wiliiams appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Thursday afternoon charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. She watched the brief proceedings via audio-visual link from Wollongong police station and did not apply for bail. Williams leant forward to listen and when the matter was adjourned told magistrate David Williams, 'Thank you, Your Honour.' She is the subject of an interim apprehended violence order protecting Ms Parkes with conditions which include not going within 500m of the family home. When asked if she comprehended the restriction, Williams said: 'Yes, I understand.' Neighbours said Williams lived in a flat behind the Horsley house, while her son lived in the front and Ms Parkes spent most of her nights there. 'She (Ms Parkes) is pretty much here all the time,' one neighbour told Daily Mail Australia. 'I always hear the son and his mum arguing a lot. Not really the girlfriend and the mum.' Another neighbour said of Ms Parkes: 'She pretty much lives here.' Of Williams, that neighbour said, 'I didn't have much to do with her. You wouldn't pick it.' Detective Chief Inspector Brad Ainsworth said the three-year-old boy was 'not injured, not touched and not approached'. The 10-year-old boy and Ms Parkes's condition had improved and they were 'in no danger and are progressing well', he said. Detective Chief Inspector Ainsworth thanked members of the public who had rushed to help Ms Parkes and the boy and said it was not clear what sparked the alleged attack. 'Really, are there any words to describe what [Williams] is alleged to have done - it's just, it's crazy,' he said. Williams will return to court on August 6 when she will be represented by Legal Aid. Police have urged anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage in relation to the alleged stabbing to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Bumper season of thrillers ahead of East Coast club rugby fans
Defending champions Waiapu, at home, kicked on from 14-0 in front to pip Ūawa 19-17 at George Nepia Memorial Park, Rangitukia. Only Tihirau Victory Club had a comfortable margin of victory on the day. They took the Jury Harrison Memorial Cup from Hikurangi 38-21, having been 12-9 ahead at halftime. It was a historic victory for TVC for a tāonga first presented eight years ago in honour of the legendary Hikurangi halfback, hooker, coach and NPEC (Ngati Porou East Coast) selector. Of all the tries to get the crowd roaring, stamping their feet and throwing 10-gallon hats in the air, none could move the masses like those exchanged by Tokomaru Bay United and Waima in the 80th and 84th minutes at Hatearangi. Both were tap-and-go efforts from a penalty. In the first instance – on a brilliant day, in terms of conditions and atmosphere, with Waima 31-25 in front – Waima were ruled not to have released a tackled opposition player. Words exchanged with referee and former NPEC Kaupoi head coach Whetu Haerewa cost the Green and Blacks an additional 10m. From 15m out, barrel-chested tighthead prop Andrew Williams stormed through five would-be tacklers to score beneath the crossbar. His try was converted for 32-31, but in a stunning turn of events, Waima captain and lock Callan Whaitiri-White scored the match-winning try. Having been awarded a penalty in front of the posts at point-blank range, they decided to run it. Whether the Green and Blacks' regard for the occasion made the thought of a penalty goal to decide the contest unworthy or they were simply unaware of or even indifferent to the score, who knows? They tapped, ran, and the skipper scored 15m from the right corner for 36-32. Both home teams prevailed in the women's competition. Tokararangi won a thriller 22-19 over Ruatōria City, and the Hikurangi Mountain Maidens were in scintillating form in beating TVC 51-27. King's Birthday derby squads named The Ngati Porou East Coast wider squad for the annual King's Birthday Weekend derby clash with Poverty Bay at Whakarua Park in Ruatōria on Saturday, May 31, has been named. Forwards: Jayden Leiua-Pokia, Jorian Tangaere, Tristan Rutene, Shannon Rimene, Te Aotahi Tuhaka, William Bolingford, Manahi Brooking, Isaac Roth, Teina Potae, Perrin Manuel, Rico Te Kani, Ricky Waitoa, Jesse Rye, Kauri Waitoa, Richard Green, Hoani Te Moana, Tuterangi Ngarimu, Te Mana Barbarich, Jack Richardson, Manaia Nyman, Uetaha Wanoa. Backs: Hamuera Moana, Safin Tuwairua-Brown, Treymaine Butler, Pamona Samupo, Tawhao Stewart, Api Pewhairangi, Tipene Meihana, Carlos Kemp, Te Aho Morice, Sam Parker, Kris Palmer, BJSidney, KC Wilson, Tutere Waenga. Poverty Bay squad – Forwards: Te Peehi Fairlie, Lance Dickson, Saigeon Carmichael, Franco Ludwig, Sam Hudson, Nox Ranitu, Khian Westrupp, Shayde Skudder, Leka Palusa, Harawira Kahukura, James Grogan, Wayne Hema, Jokatama Cewa, Latrell Walker, Niko Lauiti, Siosuia Moala, Ryan Jones, Ratu Nairoroi, Semisi Akana. Backs: Silas Brown, Israel Fox, Matt Proffit, Nic Proffit, Bosca Tikiciore, Kyoni Te Amo, Quaydon Chaffey-Kora, Cohen Loffler, Mitch Purvis, Fatty Karauria, Te Reimana Gray, Taine Aupouri, Braedyn Grant, Nashwen Mouton, George Halley.
