More on Jesse Williams
by outsidethesidelines on Sep 9, 2010 12:00 PM CDT
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The commitment of Jesse Williams was somewhat lost in the aftermath of the San Jose State pummeling, but his commitment deserves a second mention and closer consideration.
Stepping back for a moment, the hardest aspect of running a 3-4 defense is finding someone to hold the nose. It's incredibly tough to find someone for the position because not only do you need someone with the strength to hold the nose against double teams and the lateral agility to play two gaps, but you also need someone with the character required to toil in relative anonymity while your defensive teammates get most of the glory. It's much easier to find linebackers and ends, while it's exceptionally difficult to find someone who can legitimately hold the nose.
If you were drawing up an ideal nose guard, though, you would probably end up with something highly similar to Jesse Williams. This native Australian comes in at over 6'4 and 320 pounds, and he has simply annihilated JUCO competition. Don't underestimate that last point. It's one thing to dominate on the prep circuit, when half the team you are facing some 16-year pip squeak barely good enough to start on his high school team, but when you hit the JUCO ranks you are competing against bona fide players each and every week, and when you consistently leave those guys in a bloody heap, well, you're really doing something. Watch and enjoy:
Small wonder that Williams was heavily recruited by, and received offers from, nearly every program in the country, isn't it? Also no great head scratcher as to why he is widely considered the top JUCO prospect in the country.
For Alabama, this is the kind of commitment that can solidify a defense. Making matters even better, Williams is a December graduate -- 3.5 GPA to boot -- and he will enroll early at Alabama and go through spring practice. More than any other 2011 commitment, Williams looks almost certain to make a major impact immediately in Tuscaloosa. He does have three years to play his final two years of eligibility, but barring injuries I highly doubt a redshirt will be a necessity here.
Also, finally, as an interesting note, Williams is originally from Brisbane, Australia. Williams spoke openly about his background last year his selection to the World Team in the USA Football’s ‘Team USA vs. the World’ game:
My family means a lot to me. My family is indigenous Australians which means descendants of the original inhabitants of the Australian continent. My descendants are Aborigional descendents from the Wuthathi Tribe and Seven Rivers people in the Far North Queensland. My Torres Strait Island descendents are from Moa Island and the Thursday Island in Torres Strait and my great grandfather is a Torres Strait Island elder.
Sounds like a smart kid and clearly one hell of a pick-up. Welcome aboard, Jesse, and Roll Tide.
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Jessie Welcome!
Awesome write up and happy you included his background. No I did not miss the commitment. I love this guy. You don’t even have to point him out in the videos. He definitly stands out. This makes me excited about 2011!
Bama's Pluck and Grit have Writ Her Name in Crimson Flame
"Jessie" is feminine
/petpeeve’d
"The North isn't a place. It's just a direction out of the South."
--Roy Blount, Jr.
by animalcracker on Sep 9, 2010 2:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Makes "(I Wish that I had) Jessie's Girl" even hotter! :)
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
by CarrotTop4 on Sep 9, 2010 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I dare you to
walk up to him and say that.
by BamaGirlinDallas on Sep 9, 2010 11:19 PM CDT up reply actions
If he (Jesse Williams) spelled his name with an -ie,
then I would.
"The North isn't a place. It's just a direction out of the South."
--Roy Blount, Jr.
by animalcracker on Sep 10, 2010 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Question from the link:
Says that in Australia he played for the Bayside Ravens and the Queensland Sun devils state team. Looking on wikipedia, I see that the Ravens are part of Gridiron Queensland, which is an American football league there, governed by Gridiron Australia. But what exactly is it?
I’m assuming that it’s amateurs, or else there would be NCAA eligibility issues. Are the players mostly high school age? Is it somewhat akin to the traveling 7-on-7 teams (or AAU b’ball) that we have here in the States, where it’s just a separate organization outside of the schools? Or is this an open league for anyone (adults) that wants to play?
I never really considered that they would have American football there, so now I’m curious and also wondering about the level of competition that he has gone against and level of coaching, etc.
Thanks for the info, OTS. Sounds like a great pickup for us. Can’t wait to see him in crimson!
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
Good question....
eligibility as an amateur.
Unity begins with the understanding that everyone is different and to accept them as such. - Confucius
My brother lives in Sydney.
He says that there is a fair amount of interest for football there among common sportsmen. The competition is rudimentary and the infrastructure is non-existant however. But interest in playing is fairly high, unlike say the UK or Europe.
This monster looks the part. Bama going global, whoda thunk it. I was impressed with Michigan and kids from the Tidewater.
Bama is getting deep at DT.
We currently have Chapman and Love. Add in JUCCO transfers Jessie Williams and Quinton Dial at 6’5’’ 325 (who’s actually bigger than Williams) and you can see how stacked the DL is becomming. The defensive front 7 looks good for several years to come. Williams is the best pick-up of 2011 so far. IMO
Hold my beer and watch this.
Jesse Williams...
Australian for absolute beast.
by jsholt969 on Sep 9, 2010 12:36 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Jesse Williams....
Australian for “Make Their Ass Quit”!!
by BamaGirlinDallas on Sep 9, 2010 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
3-4 Defense
…the hardest aspect of running a 3-4 defense is finding someone to hold the nose.
For further proof of that, see what Shanahan and the Redskins are going through with Albert Haynesworth
"Some people have a way with words....some people....not have way." - Steve Martin
BTW, I LOVE your quote. That stand-up album is fucking CLASSIC.
RBR's King of Hip-Hop...
by SpockJenkins on Sep 9, 2010 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Ha! Thanks
I saw it (his act) on HBO long before I was old enough to really be watching it.
"Some people have a way with words....some people....not have way." - Steve Martin
This kid is a true monster...
I like at the 1:20 mark where he’s triple-teamed, but is still 4 yards into the backfield.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Sep 9, 2010 12:55 PM CDT reply actions
His online profile...
states his bench press max is 520 lbs… Can that be real??
Unity begins with the understanding that everyone is different and to accept them as such. - Confucius
It's nothing I could fathom, but...
Trent benches, what, 450 or so, I think I saw? And he’s significantly smaller. (Though Trent is also a freak of nature.)
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
of course, that's post-Cochran Trent
"You know, we had a lot of fun tonight. But there's nothing funny about vapor lock! It's the third most common cause of cars stalling. So please, take care of your car and get it checked!" -Joe Namath
Yep,
but he benched nearly 400 in high school. (380)
http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/2009/04/trent_richardson_wins_florida.html
I can’t find where I got that 450 number from, so don’t take it for gospel. But I did find this that says Julio (at 220 pounds) can bench 405.
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
You're right on his competition, OTS
AZ Western had an impressive year in the JUCO ranks. Might be worth it to see if the Matadors will be playing around PHX any this year to see him in action. I really don’t want to head to Yuma to see him play.
It's not what you've done but what you are doing that matters.
And the roses in this grand ol' stadium are once again Crimson. - Eli Gold, CTSN Broadcast of the BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, 1-7-2010
It looks
like they won’t be coming up this way until they play Scottsdale Community College in November. That was the first thing I checked myself. I will definitely go check him out and the Fighting Artichokes (SCC’s mascot). I went to SCC before getting my BS at ASU. So go Artichokes and Jesse Williams!
Artichokes?
Really? See that is what TV has done to our imaginations. We label our football teams with a vegetable name!
"Some people have a way with words....some people....not have way." - Steve Martin
Kid looks dangerous.
I like it.
Some people say "If you can't beat them, join them". I say "If you can't beat them, beat them", because they will be expecting you to join them, so you will have the element of surprise.
by BamaHadMeAtHello on Sep 9, 2010 1:08 PM CDT reply actions
I like the Pacific flavor we're adding to our team...
First Issac Luatua from Los Angeles, and now Jesse Williams. Woot woot ballin Bama train!
Roll Tide Roll
Look at that dude going all Dareus on that colt.
Don't we have another bad ass DT committed? Dial?
"Those are just facts and facts are just opinions and opinions can be wrong"
-Veronica, Better Off Ted
Not necessarily...
He could play inside if we needed him to, but we have recruited him to play the combo end-tackle position in the 3-4. Barring injuries, he should not play nose guard.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Sep 9, 2010 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Cover 10
was brought up in another post but this kid could do it. And we would still have a pass rush!!!!
"Some people have a way with words....some people....not have way." - Steve Martin
Glad we'll
finally have a player that speaks with an accent!
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Sep 9, 2010 2:04 PM CDT reply actions
Depending on who you ask,
I’m sure LOTS of our players have accents! LOL
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
My point exactly, lol.
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Sep 9, 2010 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh,
totally went over my head there. Now I gotcha. LOL
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
It'll be nice to see something else Austrailian on my TV besides the Wiggles.
Hold my beer and watch this.
"Watch as he stalks his prey"
He is gonna kill opposing centers. I’m excited to see him play.
A picture says a thousand words unless it is a picture of the Alabama football team then it only says one word.........CHAMPION!
by AlabamaTitans2009 on Sep 9, 2010 2:47 PM CDT reply actions
So we have an Aussie and a Samoan.
yay diversity!
"Those are just facts and facts are just opinions and opinions can be wrong"
-Veronica, Better Off Ted
Nate Carlson...
Although the 6’4 230lb junior hasn’t seen any game time.
Unity begins with the understanding that everyone is different and to accept them as such. - Confucius
no we just need a Viking at left tackle, and a jaguar at db
by JDinGeorgia on Sep 9, 2010 3:33 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
And then
Capitol One’s gonna come and want our team to shoot commercials for them – I bet THAT would go over well with the NCAA!
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Sep 9, 2010 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Wow...
…could someone get me the 30-year-old version of him for Christmas?
by Queen of the Universe on Sep 9, 2010 3:38 PM CDT reply actions
Todd needs to...
…challenge this guy to a vegemite sandwich-eating contest….
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Sep 9, 2010 4:28 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Totally REC'D
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Sep 9, 2010 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions
This is a significant
commit. This is the prototype DT that will thrive in our system. Good burst off the snap AND double(triple) teams mean “nothing to Hulk…Hulk smash!”
"...because you've got your mind right, and that's the way we like it." Nick Saban
I love that he's so close to his family,
but wonder if that the space between him and them might become a distraction.
Holy RBR! Am I starting to think like OTS?
U of U? Never...lol
Does it really matter at that point?
Australia to Arizona, or Australia to Alabama? Both are forever away, and he seems to be handling Arizona very well.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Sep 9, 2010 6:02 PM CDT up reply actions
And I think he'll be happy that being at Alabama,
his family will be able to see a lot more of his games, at least over the internet.
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
FYI...
Australians hate that phrase… and down under a shimp is called a prawn.
Unity begins with the understanding that everyone is different and to accept them as such. - Confucius
I think a prawn is technically a different species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prawn
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
Not at Alabama
…you also need someone with the character required to toil in relative anonymity while your defensive teammates get most of the glory.
The average Alabama football fan knows the linemen, O and D, just as well as they know the “skill” guys. If I were a big-un looking for a place where I might get some glory for trench play, Alabama would be at the top of my list.
Well it did say RELATIVE anonymity.
They might be relatively anonymous compared to Julio, Mark, or GMac. But then again Cody was probably the most recognizable member of last year’s team (and the easiest to spot from far away).
If I'm wearing a turban, it means Auburn is playing Iraq.
That's true,
but how many rival fans and NFL fans kept looking at only his stat line and questioning his playing ability? I remember several, especially in the NFL group popping in here asking those questions. He certainly got his kudos around here, and some in the national media, but it wasn’t as apparent to everyone like, say, the abilities Mark Ingram possessed(es).
That said, you’re right – a “thankless” job at Alabama fame-wise is like starting at QB for other schools.
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Sep 10, 2010 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
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