University junior Anthony Williams doesn’t cut an imposing figure. In fact, he’s often one of the smaller players on the field.
What Williams lacks in size, however, he certainly makes up for in skill and tenacity.
“Anthony is undersized, but he’s extremely tough and fearless,” University coach John Kelley said. “He has the speed which we’ve lacked in the backfield.”
With injuries taking a toll on the Hawks, Williams has seen his time on offense increase, and his productivity on the ground has nabbed 73 yards and one touchdown so far this season.
“My mom has always told me I have a strong heart,” Williams said. “I don’t care that people have call me small or short — you don’t have to have size to run the football.”
While size doesn’t always matter, it certainly can pose a challenge. Williams has learned to combat those issues with agility, footwork, and a grittiness that’s tough to find in your run-of-the-mill high school athlete.
“Mainly the bigger lineman seem like they’re hard to get around, but when you work on your footwork, they’re not. Keep your footwork, keep light on your toes, and know what you’re doing,” he said. “I maneuver and bounce off the bigger players. When you’re stuck, just lower your shoulder.”
It’s not just the run game where Williams plays a crucial role, either. Featuring as a returner, he leads the Hawks in both punt and kick returns. He has taken five punts for 41 yards and six kickoffs for 106 yards.
With football is notorious for being a game of inches, you can never overstate the importance of field position — every yard gained could be the one that gets you that crucial first down or score that wins a game. With Williams returning, Kelley has to worry about fewer of those yards.
“He’s a dangerous kick return asset. This has flipped the field in our favor. He catches the kicks instead of letting them roll,” he said. “Offenses work better on short fields, and there’s an advantage to fielding those kicks.”
Williams’ mentality in the return game harkens back to day one of practice, during which assistant coach Eric Snyder taught him the first — and most valuable — lesson he’s learned this season.
“I know I’m fast, but Coach Snyder always told me to catch the ball no matter what. He told me first day of practice if I don’t catch the ball, you’re out of the game,” he said. “The first game, Coach Kelley told me I saved us 80 or 90 yards by not letting the ball roll on kicks. Since then, I’ve had the mentality of doing it all the time. I take pride in my spot.”
Kelley, who calls Williams “fearless,” also discussed what he brings to the program beyond his performance on the field.
“He gives 100 percent every day in practice,” Kelley said. “He really just inspires others.”
Williams attributes his leadership skills — as well as much of his attitude on the turf — to former University football player Robert Sanders, who served as a mentor to Williams during the 2017 season.
“Robert Sanders was the best senior leader I could ask for. The seniors looked down on me because I was small, but Robert wasn’t big or tall either, but he was tough,” Williams said. “He’d get me more reps in practice, he’d give me the play and walk me through it step-by-step. When I wasn’t doing good and got down on myself, he picked me back up. We just had that brotherly bond.”
Now, Williams makes sure he can offer some of the same guidance to the ones that need it. He wants to be what Sanders was to him for the next generation of Hawks, and help them love the sport that he shares such a large passion for.
“Last year, some of the seniors treated us differently, and I didn’t like the higher power type. This year I took the underclassmen under my wing,” he said.
As Williams continues to make an impact for the Hawks, he sees that the focus amongst the team isn’t the same as it has been in previous seasons. After back-to-back losses, his main goal headed into week six is to step up and help redirect the energy in the locker room toward success.
“When I’m on the field I like to get the team into focus. With the freshman and underclassman, they’re not always focused. That can affect the team’s focus,” he said. “I want to keep the focus in one direction — winning.”
