THE SUMTER ITEM
GRIDIRON 2014
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014
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Feeling right at home Knights star RB Ty’Son Williams hopes for big final season, state title BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS justin@theitem.com restwood High School really wasn’t even on Ty’Son Williams’ radar in the summer of 2012. Then again, the Knights had probably never even heard of the running back coming from El Paso, Texas, at that point either. But the chance meeting changed both their fortunes for the next three years — and likely for a much longer time than that for Williams. The son of an Army mom, Williams has been no stranger to pick-
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ing up and moving to a new school and a new state on occasion — having made stops in Texas, Kansas, Georgia and now South Carolina along the way. “A lot of moves,” said Williams, a Macon, Georgia, native. “But that’s not really the hard part. The hardest part is coming in and meeting new people and finding the right spot to be .” The “right spot” turned out to be Crestwood, although it wasn’t initially
planned that way. “(My family and I) were driving around one Sunday and we were going to look at a couple of different schools,” Williams said. “We started out with Thomas Sumter and Sumter High.” Williams said he met the coaching staff at TSA, but didn’t feel like it was where he needed to be. He was unable to connect with the Sumter coaches, so he wound up driving around the city. “We drove by (Crestwood) and went to the front office,” Williams said. “One of the coaches was there and we talked and he told me when to come back and when practice started. “Been here ever since.” And both have flourished in his first two seasons. Williams ran for over 1,000 yards his sophomore year with the Knights and had doubledigit touchdowns. That
started earning him looks from NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision colleges, with the first offer coming in from North Carolina State. “I thought that was going to be my only D(ivision) I offer,” he said. It wasn’t. Williams rushed for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns his junior year to help Crestwood capture the Region VI-3A crown and earn a second-round berth in the state playoffs. The accolades helped Williams become one of, if not the, top running back prospects in the state. More offers followed, including from Clemson, South Carolina and North Carolina. He eventually made up his mind to spend his collegiate career in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, putting a busy offseason to rest. “I know he was glad to finally make the decision and get that settled,” Knights head coach Roosevelt Nelson said. “The phone calls and things like that were starting to pile up, and I know he’s glad he can concentrate on football.” Even though he no longer has to showcase his talents to prospective colleges, Williams’ senior season just might be his best one yet. At 6 feet tall and 212 pounds, the Knights running back has a rare combination of size and speed that makes him tough to tackle, Nelson said. “Most kids at this level can get hit and maybe gain three or four yards,” Nelson said. “Ty’Son can get hit and then break free and take it to the end zone. “He was clocked (in the 40-yard dash) at 4.46, so that explosiveness is there.” Crestwood’s new offensive scheme — which includes more pistol formation — might help Williams’ numbers as well. “It’s about spreading the other team out and creating space,” Williams said of the offense. “I think that really helps me. It opens up a lot more of the field.” Nelson is expecting big things from his top back as well, both on and off the field. “I just want him to be Ty’Son and to be that leader,” Nelson said. “He’s one of those kids that shows up to practice every day and works hard. He checks his ego at the door and tries to get better every day.” Williams doesn’t have any personal goals for the year — just one team goal. “We’re just trying for that state championship,” he said. “We’ve come close and we’ve been building the last few years. “That’s pretty much all I have in mind right now.”
CRESTWOOD HIGH RUNNING BACK TY’SON WILLIAMS
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