Senior Spotlight: Positivity a Snap for Terps' Williams
12/28/2008 7:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 28, 2008
This is the final story in a six-part series celebrating Maryland football seniors. This segment features center Edwin Williams.
By Matt Bixenstine, Athletics Media Relations Staff
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland center Edwin Williams assumed his usual stance and prepared to snap the ball as he has done countless times before - only this time something was different. It is not every day, after all, the senior lineman peers behind him at a 6-year-old standing under center.
But such was the sight at Gossett Team House this past summer when Williams and several of his teammates volunteered to serve as hosts to children from a local day camp. During one stifling July afternoon preceding preseason camp - a time when many players prefer to stay out of the heat and off the football field as much as possible - Williams was right in his element teaching the game he loves to impressionable youngsters.
And for those familiar with the Terps' likeable lineman, such behavior comes as no surprise. Regardless of whatever accolades he garners for his contributions on the field, Williams modestly remains a happy-go-lucky big kid at heart.
"That's just Edwin's personality - the way he was born," fellow offensive lineman Dane Randolph said. "He's the quarterback of our offensive line, and he brings a lot of intensity to our football team. But at the same time, he just enjoys life no matter what he's doing. He's always positive, and he really tries to see the good in everything and everybody."
Williams' teammates and coaches have witnessed that same quality in the 6-foot-3, 315-pound center throughout his impressive Terrapin career. Since assuming center duties as a sophomore in 2006, Williams has developed into a durable leader of the offensive line, starting a team-high 38 consecutive games entering Tuesday's Roady's Humanitarian Bowl.
A first team All-ACC nominee who is on the watch lists for the Rimington Trophy and Lombardi Award, bestowed to college football's best center and down lineman, respectively, Williams has lived up to those lofty expectations during the 2008 season.
Anchoring a veteran offensive line that has helped running back Da'Rel Scott approach 1,000 rushing yards, Williams has been superb this season, playing nearly every meaningful snap for the Terps. He has yet to fumble an exchange with quarterback Chris Turner in 2008. His block at Virginia Tech sprung wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 63-yard touchdown - the latest of several such contributions by Williams.
"As a guy who is your three-year starting center and a very talented player, Edwin, obviously, means a great deal to this team," offensive line coach Tom Brattan said. "Emotionally, he's always up and ready to go be a leader for this team. He's everything you look for in a student-athlete, and we're really going to miss him next year."
For Williams, his journey into the upper-echelon of collegiate centers has not come by accident. The Washington, D.C., native originally attended DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., to play power forward on the Stag's basketball team, but he soon realized his future rested with his performance on the gridiron.
"Basketball was my first love, but I wasn't exactly like Shaq-Diesel out there." Williams said. "So after my junior football season, my coach called me into his office and convinced me to focus on football."
Williams took that advice and helped DeMatha claim the 2003 state championship and a No. 14 national ranking from USA Today before signing with the Terps as an early commit.
Since arriving in College Park, Williams, who graduated in May with a communications degree and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in sports management, has developed into a student of the game. He contends that playing center is as much as 85-percent mental.
"When I watch football games, I watch the centers the entire time," Williams said. "There are a lot of great centers out there to learn from. I've found that as you get older, the game really slows down for you."
Williams, however, rarely slows down. When not bringing his unique breed of upbeat energy to the football field, he enjoys listening to various genres of music, learning golf and playing chess with his little brother. He also once auditioned for a movie role. More than anything, though, Williams simply finds contentment in daily life.
"I think life is too short for regrets, so I try to stay positive as much as possible," Williams said. "I get mad just like everyone else, especially when we lose, but sometimes I don't allow myself to get visibly upset."
With the Terps looking to end the season on a positive note with a victory in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Williams and his teammates remain focused on the task at hand while in Boise, Idaho. But like his personality, Williams' future beyond Maryland's 2008 campaign appears bright.
Earlier this year Williams was named a recipient of the Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Recognition Award, which honors those who overcome great odds to achieve success in the classroom. The senior lineman especially enjoys the event-management aspect of his graduate level courses, though he has not ruled out the notion of continuing his football career.
"Playing at the next level is often about the right time and the right place, but I think he'd do quite well if had a shot," said Brattan of Williams' NFL prospects. "If not, he'll do quite well with whatever he does. With Edwin, you're looking at a very successful individual in any endeavor he tries down the road."
No matter what the future holds for Williams, one thing is certain. The Terps' leader will continue to go about life with a glass-half-full approach and a smile on his face.
