Former Kansas Jayhawks running back Pooka Williams cut by NFL team on Sunday

Former University of Kansas running back Pooka Williams Jr. was waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the NFL team announced on Twitter.

Williams, who was a free agent wide receiver on the Bengals’ 16-player practice squad a year ago after going undrafted and signing as a free agent, was cut along with cornerback Abu Daramy-Swaray and running back Shermari Jones.

Williams, a 5-10, 175-pound native of New Orleans who played at KU from 2018 to 2020, rushed for 1,125 yards and seven touchdowns for the Jayhawks in 2018 and 1,061 yards and three TDs in 2019. He left the KU team after rushing for 196 yards and two TDs in just four games in 2020.

At the time of his departure, he said his reason for ending KU career was to be close to his family in Louisiana during the pandemic. After that season he was not selected in the NFL Draft and ultimately wound up on Cincy’s practice squad.

In December last year he was suspended for two games without pay for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.

There was believed to be the possibility the 23-year-old Williams, who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day before his rookie season, might make the Bengals roster as a return man for the 2022 campaign.

“Pooka was an undrafted the year prior and a fan favorite asked to make the transition from running back to wide receiver. A muffed punt during the preseason opener stands out as a play that played a part in the move here,” wrote Chris Roling of Yahoo Sports on Sunday.

Williams muffed a punt in the fourth quarter of the Bengals’ exhibition opener, a 36-23 loss to Arizona on Saturday in Cincy. It was his only return opportunity in the game. Last season in his one regular-season appearance (Week 13 vs. Los Angeles Chargers) he returned returned three kickoffs for 52 yards.

“This is the Bengals getting ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, which requires them to trim the roster down to 85. They’re currently at 87, so expect a few more moves (besides cuts, it could be moves like shifting TE Mitchell Wilcox or others to an injured list). This move also comes on the heels of Wyatt Hubert retiring,” Roling added.