South Florida CB
Trae Williams' Draft Diary
As told to
Richard Cirminiello
Despite popular
opinion or the incessant buzz coming out of the recent Combine, Mike
Jenkins is not the only former South Florida cornerback that’ll
be cashing NFL paychecks later this year. Trae Williams, a four-year
starter and a Second Team All-Big East selection, will join him on
Sundays with a little less fanfare, but no shortage of desire to fulfill
a boyhood dream.
Williams became a Bull by way of Plant City (Fla.), a town known more
for its strawberry crops than its crop of future pro athletes. Coming
out of Durant High School, the in-state options were limited to South
Florida and UCF, a couple of rising programs that offered opportunities
to play early on in his career. For Williams, that meant switching from
running back, a position he’d played his entire life, to cornerback, one
that was somewhat foreign to him.
“Making that transition to the defensive side of the ball was really
tough at first,” admitted Williams. “However, I watched film
constantly, worked closely with my coaches, and committed myself to
getting better in every area of the position.”
At first, opposing quarterbacks, like Louisville’s Stefan LeFors and
Cincinnati’s Gino Guidugli, feasted on Williams in 2004, but the playing
field gradually leveled out over time. All of the morning workouts,
sessions with coaches, and quiet time secluded in the film room began to
pay off. While quarterbacks continued to look his way, the results were
drastically different. Big plays over the top were batted away and the
South Florida run defense realized it had a sure tackler out of the
secondary. Oh, and all those years playing with the ball in his hands
and having a nose for the end zone started to pay dividends for
defensive coordinator Wally Burnham. In 55 career games, the 5-10,
193-pound Williams swiped 16 passes, taking four back for touchdowns.
“It’s hard to explain why I was able to pick off so many passes in
college,” Williams conceded. “I consider myself a hard worker that
always gives 100% in practice, constantly working on my ball skills.
Again, what I did in the film room, studying the tendencies of that
week’s quarterback was a big part of what I accomplished”.
It’s been all business for Williams since facing Oregon in the Sun Bowl,
selecting Ken and Jimmy Sarnoff as his representation, and spending a
couple of grueling months training at Athletes’ Performance in
Pensacola, Fla. In Indianapolis in February, he produced a mixed bag of
results that included a modest 4.52 in the 40 to go along with a series
of interviews and position drills that produced positive feedback from a
swath of NFL franchises. Not unlike their days together in Tampa,
however, it was Jenkins that owned the Indy spotlight, but don’t expect
that to change the pair’s relationship.
“Mike and I are like brothers,” said Williams. “We talk every other
day, pushing each other and motivating each other. One of the great
things about going through this whole process is being able to do it
with such a close friend.”
Trae Williams will be drafted in April, a surreal fact that even he has
a hard time digesting now and then. Since arriving at South Florida as
a modestly recruited running back, he’s traveled a lifetime, honing his
athletic skills while closing in on a degree in May. Yes, there’s a lot
of work to be done and a quicker 40 wouldn’t hurt, but there’s also
plenty of time to become the total package that he envisions during down
time when no one is around. The unsure kid of four years ago has
evolved into a physical open field tackler in run defense and a corner
that plays man and zone coverages equally well. Williams has also
become a young man that carries himself with a quiet confidence and an
air of assurance that resonates on and away from the field.
Trae Williams won’t be the first South Florida player selected in
April. He won’t even be the first South Florida cornerback taken.
That’s old news and a useless factoid to Williams, who’s determined now
more than ever before to begin carving out his own legacy on one of the
32 NFL teams.
