‘Boom’ looking to build off freshman success

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By Derek Terry

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@DTerryKernel

Sophomore running back Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams is looking to become a household name in college football this season.

The Monroe, Ga., native rushed for 486 yards and five touchdowns on the ground and brought life back to the kick return game by collecting 511 yards off of returns. His ability to make plays in the return game earned him Freshman All American honors.

As Williams enters his sophomore season, he figures to play a more prominent role in the offense, only this time under a new offensive coordinator. Shannon Dawson was brought in from West Virginia to replace Neal Brown, who was hired as the head coach at Troy.

When the new offense was installed in the spring, it didn’t take Williams long to buy into what Dawson was selling.

“We all believed in Coach Dawson when he first came in,” Williams said. “It’s a very good offense. We believe in it, and he believes in us. We feel like this offense that we have now, if we go out there and execute and do the things that we need to do to be successful, there’s no one out there that can stop us. It’s going to be challenging at times, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Dawson’s offense relies on versatile running backs. Backs must be able to not only run the ball, but also catch the ball out of the backfield and provide blocking for the quarterback during pass plays. After watching Williams’ film from last season, Dawson knew that he had a running back that can make plays in a variety of ways.

“He has a dynamic skillset,” Dawson said. “The kid can obviously outrun everybody on the field on both teams, which is a big plus. All we have to do is get the ball in his hands when he’s outrunning everybody.

“Again, with running backs it’s really overall with me, we have to find ways to get them the ball in a lot of different settings. Boom is no different. We have to be able to get him the ball in a lot of different ways.”

While Williams’ speed has been a big part of his playmaking ability, the 5-foot-9, 196-pound back spent the offseason improving in other areas of his game. After the season ended, Williams watched film of every game to see what he could do differently to help his team improve.

“I’ve worked on every aspect of my game,” Williams said. “From last year to this year, everyone will be able to see a big difference. Physically, I lost a little weight but I got stronger and a little faster. It’s been a great summer working out and getting better.”

Despite believing that he’s a back that could be a 1,000 yard rusher and among the best in the Southeastern Conference, Williams refuses to place any one goal for his sophomore campaign.

“I’m not going to put a limit on myself,” Williams said. “I’m just going to go out there and give my best and my all and wherever I end up at the end of the day, that’s where I’ll be. I believe in my teammates that they’re going to put me in position to make plays and I’m going to do the same for them.”