Reed Williams

Infobox NCAA Athlete
name =Reed Williams


caption =
college =West Virginia
conference =Big East
sport =Football
jersey = 47
position =Linebacker
class =Junior
major =
career_start =2005
nickname =
height_ft =6
height_in =2
weight_lb =231
nationality =USA
birth_date =birth date and age|1987|1|8
birth_place =flagicon|West_Virginia Petersburg, West Virginia
highschool =Moorefield High School,
Moorefield, West Virginia
championships =
championship_list =
awards = 2007 first-team Academic All-American
2008 Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP
2008 Lott Trophy Watch List

Reed Williams (born January 8, 1987 in Moorefield, West Virginia) is an American football linebacker who plays for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Williams earned the 2008 Fiesta Bowl MVP award as a junior.

Early life

Reed Williams attended Moorefield High, where he was an all-state captain of the football team's defense. Williams led his school to state titles in 2001 and 2002, the semifinals in 2004, and a runner-up finish in 2003. He averaged 130 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 26 catches at tight end, and 32.8 yards per punt as a punter every year. Williams led his team to a total 45-8 record during his tenure. Also lettered in basketball and baseball.

Collegiate career

Freshman (2005)

Reed Williams enrolled at West Virginia University in 2005. During his true freshman season, Williams played special teams. His best game was a two-tackle performance against Wofford.

ophomore (2006)

During his sophomore season in 2006, Reed Williams rotated at the same linebacker position with junior Bobby Hathaway. He started the season with a tackle and pass deflection against Eastern Washington. He then had 6 tackles and two fumble recoveries against Maryland. In one of his better performances of the season, Williams totaled 5 tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup against East Carolina. Williams then totaled three tackles against Mississippi State and five tackles against Syracuse. He then recorded a team-best 9 tackles against UConn. He then suffered a shoulder stinger against Cincinnati, but still had two sacks and forced fumbles. Williams then totaled six tackles and two sacks against Pittsburgh and a seven-yard sack against South Florida. He finished the season out with six tackles against Rutgers and seven against Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl. At the end of the season Williams earned the Ideal Mountaineer Man Award from head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Junior (2007)

Entering the 2007 season, his junior season, Reed Williams moved from the same position to middle linebacker with Marc Magro. To open the season, Williams recorded five tackles and an interception. He then recorded 6 tackles and forced a fumble against Marshall and 9 tackles against Maryland. Against East Carolina, Williams recorded a season-low two tackles before recording 9 tackles in the loss to South Florida. He then recorded four tackles against Syracuse and Mississippi State. Then Williams totaled a career-high 12 tackles against Rutgers. He then recorded three tackles against Louisville, before totaling five tackles and a pass breakup against Cincinnati. Against Connecticut, Williams recorded 7 tackles and recovered a fumble in the endzone for a touchdown, his first score in his collegiate career. In the loss to Pitt, Williams recorded 9 tackles.

In the 48-28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl to end the season, Williams recorded 10 tackles, a sack, and forced a fumble on the Sooners' first drive en route the defensive MVP honors. [ [http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/105761 Fiesta Bowl notebook: W. Virginia’s Slaton is hamstrung] East Valley Tribune, accessed January 5, 2008]

Williams finished the season with 107 tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.

enior (2008)

The town of Moorefield, West Virginia extended to Reed an official key to the town on January 8, 2008, declaring the occasion: "Reed Williams Day". Williams then missed all of spring practice with surgery, and it was revealed on April 27 that Williams could potentially miss the 2008 season rehabing the shoulder surgeries. [ [http://wvgazette.com/Sports/WVU/200804260496 The Charleston Gazette - WVU - Twin shoulder surgeries put Williams' season in jeopardy ] ] However, Williams was named to the 2008 Lott Trophy Watch List.

Williams missed first two games of the season for West Virginia, but returned in the 17-14 loss to Colorado to record 6 tackles and an interception that was returned 26 yards. In the following 27-3 victory over Marshall, Williams led the team with 11 tackles and two tackles for a loss.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.msnsportsnet.com/profile.cfm?id=101047 College profile]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=174474 College player card] on ESPN.com
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/players/130607 College profile] on Yahoo! Sports
* [http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/players/playerpage/566456 College profile] on CBSSports.com
* [http://www.cfbstats.com/2007/player/768/84077/index.html College statistics]