Williams and Fashanu, who attended Gonzaga College High School just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, could become the first high school teammates to both go in the top 5 of the same NFL draft.
Heather Dinich explains how high school teammates Caleb Williams and Olu Fashanu can make more history for their alma mater, which they already helped win a championship.
In July, Williams said being so close to the CFP last year and ultimately falling out of the top four on Selection Day frustrated and fueled him.He and Fashanu have the high school history together to prove it. "Losing Caleb in the high school recruitment might have been my worst recruiting loss ever," he said."He had come to my camps for many years, and he was almost a shoo-in to come to DeMatha. When that didn't happen, I knew we lost a talented player. But I had no idea he was gonna be this phenomenal. And he is exactly that."
"Gonzaga is a school where the athletes and regular students, everyone is such good friends," he said,"so Olu would be with a friend who doesn't play football and he's like nine inches taller than him and outweighs him by 150 pounds, but it's normal at Gonzaga, which makes it cool because it's not just athletes in a clique hanging out with each other. It's definitely funny seeing Olu next to people who are 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds.
Petitbon, who said he is on a text chain with Fashanu and a few other former Gonzaga linemen, said they still laugh about going to Outback together in his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland, where"Olu would eat an ungodly amount of food." Gonzaga assistant coach Justin Young, who coached Fashanu on the offensive line during his freshman and sophomore seasons, has also been the team's strength and conditioning coach. Young said Fashanu was"molding clay," as far as improving his flexibility in the weight room, but knew from the start he was"a first-rounder based on his size and his potential."
Gonzaga won its first six games, but stumbled down the stretch. The Eagles finished the regular-season with three losses, including a triple overtime loss to DeMatha, located about 11 miles away from the heart of the nation's capital.
Gonzaga trailed by three with less than a minute remaining when Williams was sacked, forcing a third-and-33 situation. Williams had injured his ankle on the play, and Trivers said that had the Eagles needed to play another game, Williams probably wouldn't have been able to participate. Ultimately no cast or surgery was needed, but Trivers called it"a fairly significant injury."
Caleb Williams , the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, was protected by Olu Fashanu in high school."I'm looking at Olu like, 'Who is that guy?'" his injured ankle, heaved a 53-yard Hail Mary as time expired, and Gonzaga students prayed in the stands. He was on his own 41-yard line when he threw it, and it easily sailed about 60 yards.He miraculously emerged from a pile of defenders in the end zone with the game-winner from Williams.
"After years have passed and seeing that not only did we lose to a good team," he said,"we might have lost to arguably the greatest quarterback -- maybe player -- to come out of the DMV area in the last 20 years. Maybe ever."oldest all-boys school in Washington, D.C., but the athletic department has only retired three numbers -- one from basketball, another from hockey, and Williams' No. 18.
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