The 2026 Super Bowl features several former Trojans, and former USC DL Leonard Williams is right in the middle of it. And just a day before the biggest game of his life, Ed Orgeron popped up in Williams’ social media feed with some words of wisdom for the young man.

‘Big Cat,’ Leonard Williams, it’s Coach O, how you doing? Congratulations, man, on making it to the Super Bowl,” said Orgeron. “The night before, I know you’re excited. Hey man, I’ve followed you, I’ve watched you, and you’ve developed. You came from the land Florida. You trusted us. You came to USC; it was a great school. They love you. You LA all the way, man. Then you went to Seattle. You made a home there, and now you played in the Super Bowl. Remember your fundamentals tomorrow, and get there in a bad mood. Go Hawks!”

Leonard replied to the video by acknowledging the impact Ed Orgeron has had on his life. He wrote, “Preciate you, Coach O!!! One of the biggest impacts on my career! Fight on ✌🏾.”

Williams’ time at USC from 2012 to 2014 was shaped almost entirely by Ed Orgeron. Orgeron was the D-line coach at USC, and he was molding Williams from an 18-year-old freshman into a future first-rounder. When Orgeron was named USC’s interim head coach in 2013, Williams told reporters, flat-out, “We all want Coach O to stay.”

Orgeron compared the freshman Williams to former USC star Shaun Cody. He confidently predicted that Williams would be a first-round pick. This was back in 2013, before Williams had even finished his sophomore year. Over three seasons and 39 games, Williams exploded onto the scene. He made Freshman All-American and was Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2012. He then followed that up with 13.5 tackles for loss and an All-American nod in 2013.

The bond stuck, too. Years later, when Orgeron was at LSU, he kept a signed photo of Williams from draft night in his office. It read, “TO COACH O, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!” Now, as Williams gears up for the Super Bowl with the Seahawks, Orgeron’s still singing his praises, and you can tell that connection from USC never went away.

Although CFB and the NFL are very different games, history shows that CFB breakouts do not always translate into success at the NFL level. But in the case of Williams, USC taught him how to handle pressure. That lesson, Williams noted, made his transition to New York seamless after the draft. He is now in year 11 of his NFL career.

And now, as the $64.5 million star suits up for the most important game of his life, carrying the hopes of millions of fans, he’d remember the people like Coach Orgeron who have supported him throughout, and most importantly, he’d remember the place that started it all for him: Mainland High School

USC alum credits his high school

Leonard Williams’ journey started at Mainland High School. Where he first learned the game. Years later, that same trait carried him from USC to the NFL, through stops with the Jets and Giants, and finally to Seattle. As it has brought him to Super Bowl 60, the DT didn’t hold back from recalling his high school days.

“Being there was my first time playing football,” said Williams. “I would just say I was really persistent at that time, even then as a young athlete. I found that I was a very persistent person, and that’s kind of what got me to this point now.”

He made seven sacks in 2025, the third-most in his career. He even helped the Seahawks smash San Francisco in the divisional round and then survived the Rams in the NFC title game to punch their Super Bowl ticket.

“It means a lot,” said Williams. “I’ve been through so many ups and downs.”

Williams and the Seahawks allowed a league-best 17.2 PPG. And now, the Patriots arrive with one of the NFL’s most productive units, led by Drake Maye. Whether Williams is able to beat them or not will be his final test.