On Heisman's advice, Williams transferred to his coach's former school, the University of Pennsylvania. He lettered three seasons at quarterback for the Red and Blue under renowned coach George Washington Woodruff. At the time Williams played quarterback under Woodruff, the forward pass was illegal. To advance the ball down the field, Woodruff coached his quarterback to "pass the ball with his foot." The rules at the time were that anybody that kicked the ball or anybody behind the kicker was allowed to recover the ball and retain possession. Williams was able to place his kicks with great accuracy allow Penn to recover for a first down.