Derrick Williams.

[The Ancient Enemy]

When senior WR Derrick Williams walked off the field last weekend after Penn State's thrilling victory against visiting Illinois, the 107,000 white-clad fans had witnessed history made that night. Number Two was the first player in Penn State history to record a receiving touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and a kick return for a touchdown in a single game at Penn State. Everyone felt more than just the glee of history, though. Williams undoubtedly had the same feeling. It was the feeling of satisfaction. For the first time in three seasons, the Lions' pieces were falling into place. When asked if the team was thinking about a national championship, he responded:

“We're not focused on that. Well, we are focused on that but I'm trying to be humble. We think every day about a national championship, and if we're not thinking about it then we shouldn't be playing this game. We definitely can do it with the team we have, but Joe always tells us to take it one day at a time, one game at a time.”

“One day at a time, one game at a time” has been the theme of Williams' seemingly unfulfilled destiny at Penn State. But in reality, 'unfulfilled' could not be any farther from the truth.

Williams came to Penn State as the number 1 recruit in the nation out of high school. His high school coach even called him the greatest player he'd ever seen, and with good reason. Williams played about every position known to football during his stay at Eleanor Roosevelt High in Greenbelt, MD. In his last two years of high school, Williams threw for 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns. On the ground, as a quarterback and as a running-back, he accumulated 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns. As a receiver in those two years: 205 yards and 2 TDs. As a returner, 1,240 yards and a touchdown.

We're not done yet.

As a defensive back, Williams picked up 80 tackles, 13 deflections, 7 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. He left high school with a lengthy string of accolades in addition to statistics: Parade Magazine All-American, All-USA Today, and All-Met in the Washington Post. On top of that? A great athlete in track and field.

Suffice to say, the Raiders were sad to see him go.

He could have gone anywhere. He had offers to productive programs all across the country, but in the end, he shocked the college football world by choosing the Nittany Lions. Williams wanted to help lay the ground floor for a Penn State resurgence. And, 4 years later, mission soundly accomplished.

Williams' statistics at Penn State are nothing extraordinary. In 2005, his true Freshman season, he showed signs of future brilliance. He finished the year with 22 catches for 289 yards and one TD. On the ground, 22 carries for 105 and 3 scores. Not bad, especially for a freshman. But the 2005 season was the first indication that Penn State had a player with more to offer than just statistics. When Penn State went into their little slump in the beginning of the decade, there were two occurances that changed the mentality. Defensively, it was the goal-line stand against Indiana, on the road, at the end of the 2004 season. But a year later, on offense where Penn State was really in the dark, it was Williams' great touchdown against Northwestern that sparked the current Nittany Lion resurgence... a play that may end up going down in Penn State history as the most important play to ever happen for the program.

National championship talks? "We think about a national championship every day"? In 2004, the Nittany Lions were lucky to win the four games they DID win.

Penn State has only won the Big Ten conference twice in their 14 years of participation. In 2005, The Lions lost one game in that Big Ten championship season: Michigan. The game Williams was lost for the year with a broken arm. He was rewarded by The Sporting News that season by being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman squad.

The 2006 and 2007 seasons are treated by Lion fans like 'Alien 3': A bad dream that can hopefully be forgotten. In the two very long years with Anthony Morelli at the helm, to use the word “sluggish” would be an understatement. But with offensive confidence as low as it was, Williams saw his receiving stats increase a little in both seasons. In 2006, he had 40 catches for 440 yards and one score. On the ground, 26 carries for 145 yards and another score, plus one return for a touchdown. In 2007, his catches went up but his carries went down. Williams finished his Junior year with 55 catches for 529 yards and 3 TDs. He carried only 16 times, however, for 101 yards and a score. 1 return for a TD.

The problem with Williams’ career was never a question of him being unproductive. It was always a problem of actually getting him the ball. Or anyone else. This year, in his Penn State swan song, the 6’0”, 194 lb., 4-year starter is enjoying the productivity everyone expected, including Williams himself. It doesn’t hurt that the quarterback has shown incredible maturity, and he’s surrounded by two other great wide receivers. For 2008, he has 14 catches for 188 yards and one TD. He has also rushed for 78 yards and one TD on 13 carries. But so far, 5 games into the season, he has 2 returns for touchdowns.

Much of his 2008 production came last weekend, in the aforementioned Illinois clash. He ended the game with 6 catches for 75 yards, 1 TD. 6 carries for 33 yards, 1 TD. 1 return for a touchdown, in the play that sealed the victory.

One of the biggest and most overlooked stats of his career? Zero fumbles.

Regardless of what happens from here until January, experts have always had him as a big-time NFL prospect despite his lack of big-time numbers. Williams, with 4.3 speed, is on both the Biletnikoff and Maxwell watch lists.

There may not be a kid in Penn State history who deserves it more than Williams. With a sky as high any player in high school history, he was on the receiving end of a lot of bogging offense and bogging decisions by the people above him. But he never opened his mouth about it. He has also gone out of his way on numerous occasions to help the team in their recruiting. It is the little things that Williams does that has made him a Penn State great. His commitment in the 2005 recruiting class was the catalyst for top-notch Penn State classes since. Williams has gotten a lot of national press over the past week, after the performance against Illinois. It could not have happened to a better kid.



Prettier (and edited a bit): http://theloveofsports.com/index.php/si ... _williams/