4/27/2007 10:13:00 AM MT's Williams signs with OSU Panther coach says linebacker may be outgrowing his current position
Miami Trace’s Nathan Williams (44) pursues McClain quarterback Alex Anderson during the game between the Panthers and Tigers last fall. His outstanding speed, as well as his size and strength, helped Williams to be recruited by major college teams from across the country. Williams, who will be a senior at Miami Trace next year, accepted a scholarship offer Tuesday to play football for Ohio State.
NATHAN WILLIAMS
By CHRIS HOPPES Brown News Service
The newest Buckeye in the land is none other than Miami Trace junior Nathan Williams.
Williams was offered a scholarship Tuesday evening to attend Ohio State University and play football for coach Jim Tressel's Buckeyes. He quickly accepted.
Williams becomes the eighth player to verbally commit to Ohio State's recruiting class of 2008.
Williams, it's safe to say, was wearing perhaps the broadest smile to be found Wednesday at Miami Trace High School.
Things really began to get interesting for Williams late last week with the events leading up to his being offered a scholarship to attend Ohio State.
"Coach (Jim) Heacock told me Saturday he was coming down to my track meet," Williams said. "He texted me (Monday) telling me he was going to come down. ...
"He talked with Art Schlichter. Art came down to see me a couple of weeks ago. He came and spoke with coach Heacock. He said, 'you better take this guy while you can.'
Coach Heacock watched (my) track meet. As soon as I finished running the 100-meter dash, coach Heacock said coach Tressel would be texting me later that night. I kind of got the indication that something important was going to happen. Around 7 p.m. I got the text message, but I didn't get it until 9:30 p.m. because my phone was locked up. I didn't receive any text messages because I was in my basement and I didn't have a signal.
"So when I went up stairs to get ready for bed, I was kind of disappointed that nothing happened. I turned off my phone and then turned it back on and the next thing I knew, I had three or four text messages from coach Tressel and coach Heacock and a couple of my buddies. So I looked at the Tressel one, and it said, 'Nate, coach Heacock had a great day at your school. It sounds like you're doing great. We have a scholarship for you. What would you think about becoming a Buckeye?'
"I told him it would be a great honor. I've always wanted to be a Buckeye and it would be a tremendous honor to play for him."
Williams said Tressel sent him separate messages back saying, "Wow!!!!!!", "congrats" and "I'll be in to see you in May. Welcome to the family."
Williams said that he's wanted to play for Ohio State since he was a boy.
"The main reason for me is family," Williams said. "My dad, my grandma and my sister all live in Washington C.H. Every single time I went up to Ohio State, I thought those coaches were my family. I felt so comfortable with them. They treated me like family."
"It was a big day here yesterday, not only for Miami Trace football, but especially for Nathan Williams," Miami Trace High School football coach Jeff Conroy said. "We've known for several weeks, even several months, that Ohio State has had an interest in Nathan Williams."
Williams was being sought by many Division I schools including West Virginia, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Akron, Miami of Ohio and Cincinnati.
"Last week an assistant coach from Georgia was sitting in (my office), very excited about the (prospect) of Nathan becoming a Georgia Bulldog," Conroy said. "His recruiting has really had a national theme. Anyone who has expressed any interest in Nathan, we've sent a tape to. All of these people have had a chance to watch him on tape. They must have liked what they saw on tape to make the offer."
According to Conroy, magazines have had Williams rated anywhere from the ninth-best player to the fifth-best player in Ohio.
Williams has played linebacker on defense, as well as fullback on offense, the past two seasons.
Williams is almost outgrowing those positions, according to Conroy.
"He's 6-4, 245, 250 pounds right now," Conroy said. "He's getting into that defensive end category. I think originally, everyone looked at him as a linebacker. But now, from a college standpoint, they feel he might be outgrowing that position."
Tressel and Ohio State recruiting coordinator John Peterson visited Miami Trace a few weeks ago, Conroy said.
"We knew if coach Tressel was going to make the effort to stop in here at Miami Trace, we knew there was some interest there," Conroy said. "They have a small number of scholarships. They've made some offers to several people and I think they wanted to do their homework with Nathan."
Defensively for the Panthers in 2006, Williams led the team in total participations with 137, a ratio of nearly 2 to 1 ahead of the next player. Participations include all tackles, sacks, recovered fumbles, etc.
"He's a very happy young man," Conroy said of Williams. "He's still, I think, on cloud nine. It's exciting. It's a great day for Nathan and his family. We're excited for him. His teammates are excited.
"I think the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders. Even though he had offers from some of the top programs in the county, the one that he wanted was Ohio State."
In a sense, one chapter in Williams' life has ended and now a new one begins.
Conroy said Williams will now be representing Miami Trace and Ohio State and that when the Panthers take the field Aug. 24 against Circleville, all eyes will be on No. 44.
"The challenge has just really begun," Conroy said. "Even though one big step is over, in the fact that he's made his choice, there's a tremendous challenge in front of him. We're going to work very hard to have him ready to go when it's time to go to Ohio State."
Williams has an outstanding combination of size and speed, according to Conroy.
"One of the reasons why he's been such a highly-recruited kid is the fact that it's very rare to find someone who is as big as he is who runs as well as he does. ... He runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.6 range, which is pretty good for a football player his size. He's got the natural gift of being able to find the football and make plays and make things happen. I think Ohio State is getting a good one, and it's our job to get him ready and do all the things we need to do to have him ready when it's time to go up there."
Williams said that he gets chills whenever he hears Ohio State's alma mater.
"My mom, Trina (White) has helped me out more than almost anybody," Williams said. "She lives in Bakersfield, Calif. She grew up in New Martinsburg.
"I want to share everything with them," Williams said. "They helped me get to this point where I am today and I just want to give it all back."
Williams' goal is to prepare himself so he can start for Ohio State in the fall of 2008.
"I want to go in with that mentality," Williams said. "I know I have a lot of work to do. Preparation is key. I just have to get stronger and get my speed faster. It'll take a lot more than what I have right now. I just want to go to Ohio State thinking I can start. I want to build my reputation from the first day I get there until the day I leave. Hopefully, something else might happen like going to the NFL.
"Ever since I was a little boy I dreamed of going to Ohio State. I didn't get to watch many Ohio State games when I lived in California. Whenever they were on, I would put my Ohio State hat on and be glued to the TV screen.
"My feet haven't quite hit the ground yet. I can't begin to explain the type of feeling I have right now. It's unbelievable."
Williams will be the fourth player from Miami Trace High School to play football for Ohio State. He joins Art Schlichter, Glen Cobb and David Andrews.
