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Rocketing up the Board

Toledo wide receiver Stephen Williams has been a vital component in the Rockets' attack. With each bit of improvement, his NFL Draft stock rises.


By Jeff Glatzer
Updated: September 14, 2009
Stephen Williams, the number one receiver for the Toledo Rockets, bears a striking similarity to Ramses Barden, the tall, lanky receiver out of Cal-Poly who was drafted in the third round last April by the New York football Giants. He is the Rockets most intriguing pro prospect at wide out.


Toledo has come out of the 09' gates as an explosive offensive juggernaut, amassing over 1,117 yards in the first two games. In the first game loss against Purdue, they piled up 493 yards. In last week's game against Colorado, they exploded for 623.


This All-MAC receiver had great numbers against Purdue. He had a career-high 15 receptions and 185 yards. He needs 73 catches to pass Lance Moore's team record of 222, 740 receiving yards to top Moore's record of 2,776, and 10 TD receptions to crack Moore's mark of 25 scores.

Williams, who has 150 career receptions for Toledo, has been named to the watch list this year for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the top receiver in the country. He is majoring in Communication and will graduate this December.

He's a long-striding receiver, plays physical and is a big target with speed. He was timed at 4.41 in the 40 last spring, the fastest on the team. His vertical jump was a team-best 40" .


He only played one year of football at Marshall high school (Houston, TX). Prior to playing football as a senior, Williams was a successful track athlete. He was
timed at 10.7 in the 100 meters as a junior and he had a 6-4 in the high jump and 22' 11" in the long jump.

Another intangible that Williams possesses is his willingness and ability to block. Some receivers don't take to blocking much as that isn't considered the "fun part" of the game. Or as in some players' cases these days, that isn't as important as getting open to get the ball thrown to them.

Williams admits that blocking is integral to the offensive game plan.

"I want to make a stand now that blocking down the field with all receivers [that they] can turn a 4 yard run into a 40 yard run. I like stand up blocking because I have a pretty strong upper body and I feel I can block with the best of them."

Outside Receivers Coach Jason Nichols knows that Williams needs to do the little things like improving his route running in order to grow as a receiver.

"When you're trying to come out of your cuts, you're trying to increase separation by eliminating a lot of the false steps that they tend to take because they are taller. That's something that a lot of big receivers struggle with. Every step counts," explains Nichols.

Speed is Williams' number one commodity. Once he hits open field, it's over. He comes out of his breaks decently yet needs to work on sharpening his routes going forward.

He can track the ball well and is a great threat to go after a jump ball with his natural athleticism. With the upper body strength and combined with his speed, he is a great threat to stretch defenses.

His biggest challenge going into this season has been being recognized as a game changer on the Rocket offense.

"I just have to play at a higher level. I know I am being keyed and they're going to put their best guy on me. I know a lot of corners are going to be looking forward to playing against me. I'm just bringing my "A" game every time and keep working hard," states Williams.

Toledo runs a spread offense that allows Williams to excel. A lot of hard work and off season conditioning has gone into his preparation. He has worked tirelessly with his coaches and rocket-launching quarterback Aaron Opelt.

Right now he is ranked 228
th overall, 27th at his position, and projected to be drafted no later than the 7th round. That could change considerably by next spring.

The way Williams faces and reacts to adversity is to stay focused and put the team first. He had a couple of turnovers in the season opener and just stuck with it. "The thing that helped me out a lot too even with the turnovers was I kept playing the game. I forgot about it and kept playing the next play," he replies.

Williams aspires to be the best at his position. He has good hand play to break away from corners on his routes and he works hard on his technique, approach and receiving skills.

Serving as a role model may be something that Williams will thrive at in the future. He has had a strong religious upbringing form his Mother who is a Pastor.

"She always preached to me and read bible scriptures on how to be humble. She teaches us to have faith in your abilities and the man upstairs will get you upstairs."

Catching footballs is what Williams does best. Once he fine tunes his game and continues to be focused, he will grow as a receiver.

Through more reps and his dedication and competitive nature, he can become the playmaker he desires to be.





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