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Newly acquired quarterback Richie Williams is the spittin' image of actor Will Smith. Williams has put his Hancock on a contract with the Blue Bombers and will continue his pursuit of happyness here. Williams has the same throwing motion as Dieter Brock. If he can put up the same numbers in Blue and Gold he will be a legend. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

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Will Smith (ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)

He's a dead ringer for Will Smith and has a sidearm delivery that is somewhat -- emphasis on somewhat -- reminiscent of Dieter Brock.

So let's just go way out on a limb here and say if Richie Williams can deliver an Oscar-worthy portrayal of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers legendary quarterback then the club's brass will be doing cartwheels for scooping him up off the Canadian Football League scrap heap.

Shoot, if he could even flash any of the brilliance he showed at Appalachian State or in his five starts with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in two years -- get this, Williams was 2-3 in games he took the first snap while the other Tabbie starters were 4-27 over that same span -- then the Bombers may actually have somebody to push Stefan LeFors and fatten their QB depth.

As it stands, the 26-year-old South Carolina product is now the most experienced QB on the Bombers roster.

"That's amazing, especially since I've only got three years under my belt and I just turned 26," said Williams with a chuckle after Tuesday's morning practice. "I'm used to being the youngest, so this is different for me."

"I think (experience) is a concern more with you guys in the media than it is with me," said head coach Mike Kelly. "We were kind of chuckling out there, 'Oh, geez, we don't have a CFL-experienced guy.' I'm not putting a whole lot of emphasis on that. I think we can teach our scheme and we can teach what the indicators are with the defence over the top... as long as the guy is intelligent and poised and possesses the physical skills then playing quarterback is playing quarterback.

"We've got guys here that are going to function just fine."

The why or how are of no consequence to Williams now, but there is a certain degree of irony regarding his release from the Ticats and his surfacing here in Winnipeg. He was dumped in April, about a month after former Bomber Kevin Glenn was cut here and signed in Hamilton. And so, despite his solid numbers in spot starts and mop-up duty for a horrible football team, Williams found himself unemployed.

"That's the past," said Williams. It is what it is, but I'm in a better place now and I'm looking for a fresh new start. I was still with them when they signed Kevin, but I kinda knew that was going to happen since Kevin and (head coach Marcel) Bellefeuille are close. But as far as me coming to the 'Peg, I really had no idea.

"It's a blessing in disguise. You can't get mad. It's a business."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Separated at birth?

Richie Williams gets it all the time: Some say he's a dead ringer for actor/rapper Will Smith.

"Man, listen, I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard that," said Williams. "I might be rich. MIGHT. I wish I'd be half the man of Will Smith. That's a good man right there."

Asked if he saw the resemblance and was a Smith fan, head coach Mike Kelly offered up this:

"If you live in Philadelphia you have to be a Will Smith fan. Come on now, Summertime in Philadelphia (Smith's video 'Summertime' was shot throughout Philly, his hometown). Will's more buff than Richie is. Once he did the Ali movie it was over with. Richie's got a long way to go to catch Will."

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 10, 2009 C3