The Ottawa Redblack signed former UNLV running back Charles Williams and released wide receiver Emmanuel Butler on Thursday.
Charles Williams, a 24-year-old from Fresno, California, attended the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie mini-camp and training camp in 2022. In his final collegiate season, Williams had 254 carries for 1,261 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 13 catches for 202 yards in 12 games for UNLV in 2021.
Collegiately, Williams played six seasons at UNLV (2016-21). He became UNLV’s all-time leading rusher with 800 carries for 4,201 yards, 34 touchdowns, 39 catches for 310 yards, and 24 kick returns for 422 yards in 55 games for the Rebels.
In 2020, Williams was named to the 2020 watch list of the Doak Walker Award (top running back) and Maxwell Award (top overall player) after leading the Rebels in rushing with 116 carries for 495 yards, four touchdowns, and 13 carries for 44 yards in six games.
In addition, he is a two-time Metro Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Mountain West Honors, Island Showdown Trophy in 2021, and was invited to the 2022 Hulu Bowl.
Emmanuel Butler, a 26-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, signed with the Redblacks last month. Butler made three catches for 30 yards in one game for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2022. Shortly after the Redblacks released him, Butler signed with the San Antonio Brahmas (XFL).
Butler was with the Tiger-Cats during training camp in 2021 before being released. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and spent two seasons in their practice squad.
Collegiately, Butler played five seasons at Northern Arizona (2014-18) with 187 catches for 3,217 yards, 33 touchdowns, and six tackles in 45 games for the Lumberjacks.
Butler is a two-time All-Big Sky First Team (2015-16), 2015 Sporting News Fab Fifty-First Team, 2015 Associated Press First Team All-America, 2015 STATS Second Team All-America, and 2018 HERO Sports Preseason All-America Third Team.
