His personal items didn’t just vanish into thin air, of course. It was placed in a different player’s locker.

Williams found himself the victim of a harmless prank, and while he was mad, he knew exactly who the culprits were.

“He knew who it was,” wideout Felton Davis III, one of the offenders, said with a laugh. “He was mad.”

The prank wasn’t the sort Davis and his accomplice, fellow wide receiver Darrell Stewart Jr., usually pull on their teammates. Comparing the two, Davis prefers the pranks while Stewart reserves his effort for the jokes, according to the latter.

But between the duo, that laughing, jokester nature is the reputation they hold around their football peers.

“I always grew up trying to make people laugh, trying to make people have a good time,” Stewart said. “I just always want people to smile and have a good time. I try to bring the best out of people no matter what.”

Despite playing the same position and coming in with the Class of 2015 recruiting class, the two have different eligibility statuses. Davis earned snaps as a true freshman during the Spartans’ College Football Playoff run.

Now, they find themselves as leaders among a budding wide receiving corps. It’s the natural progression as players age through the system. 

“It feels good (being one of the older guys),” Davis said. “It feels like a long time coming. Being one of the oldest guys in the room, I get to show the nation what I learned from (Aaron Burbridge and R.J. Shelton).”

Teammates have come to notice the type of mood they bring to the locker room, one quarterback Brian Lewerke described as “relief.”

Lewerke came into the program the same time as Stewart and Davis, all three Spartans entering their third year at MSU. And from day one, the redshirt-sophomore gunslinger said they’ve always brought a smile to his face.

“I knew it from the first day we came in 2015, when you put those two guys together they can crack jokes for three hours on end,” Lewerke said. “It’s awesome being around them. They’re always fun to be around.”

And the bond they’ve created all began the same time they first set foot on campus. It’s one where Davis comfortably called Stewart his “best friend” without a second’s hesitation.

“Ever since I got up here he’s like the brother I’ve always wanted,” Stewart said. “We’re always close with each other, we always tell each other about everything. I mean it’s the greatest relationship I’ve ever had.”

As the Spartans attempt to return to the glory days, they will rely on Davis and Stewart, among others. Stepping into leadership roles, they’ll look to do so with their own style in hand.

“We’re one of the more energetic guys on the team,” Davis said. “Everybody knows, when they see us, there’s no point in being down. It’s hard to stay down when we’re around.”