Over the weekend, Reed Williams attended the Jamboree in the Hills music festival outside of Wheeling.

He heard acts like Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn and even Loretta Lynn.

"It was a good time," Williams said. "Where I'm from [Moorefield], country is bred into you.''

And West Virginia University football fans thank God he's a country boy. Last season, the linebacker was the Big East's No. 6 tackler. He was the Fiesta Bowl defensive player of the game with nine tackles, seven solo, two for loss, including a sack and a forced fumble.

Williams was a rock in a 2007 defense that finished in the top 30 in the country in eight different categories. A pressing question now, though, is whether that rock is ready to roll.

With WVU camp opening on Aug. 2, less than a week and a half away, Williams continues to recover from surgeries on both shoulders to repair torn labrum cartilage. He sat out spring drills.

"Rehab is going well," Williams said. "I have treatment once a day. I'm trying to get my strength back. I'd say I'm about 80 percent.''

The senior said he's been pushing against walls. There have been tubing exercises.

"It's definitely a process you don't want to rush," Williams said. "With my lifestyle, it's tough for me to be patient, but I've learned to do so.''

Williams said healthy shoulders are vital to success on the field.

"The key is to separate from the big guys," said the middle linebacker. "You use your arms to push, which goes through the shoulders. So I need to get my strength back.''

While Williams was sidelined, WVU's coaches moved Pat Lazear from the strong side to the middle. The experiment was a hit, so the Mountaineers have a viable alternative, if not depth, should Williams have to sit a while longer. He could even take a redshirt and return next season.

The country boy, however, doesn't want to fiddle around on the sideline.

Over the weekend, Reed Williams attended the Jamboree in the Hills music festival outside of Wheeling.

He heard acts like Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Brooks & Dunn and even Loretta Lynn.

"It was a good time," Williams said. "Where I'm from [Moorefield], country is bred into you.''

And West Virginia University football fans thank God he's a country boy. Last season, the linebacker was the Big East's No. 6 tackler. He was the Fiesta Bowl defensive player of the game with nine tackles, seven solo, two for loss, including a sack and a forced fumble.

Williams was a rock in a 2007 defense that finished in the top 30 in the country in eight different categories. A pressing question now, though, is whether that rock is ready to roll.

With WVU camp opening on Aug. 2, less than a week and a half away, Williams continues to recover from surgeries on both shoulders to repair torn labrum cartilage. He sat out spring drills.

"Rehab is going well," Williams said. "I have treatment once a day. I'm trying to get my strength back. I'd say I'm about 80 percent.''

The senior said he's been pushing against walls. There have been tubing exercises.

"It's definitely a process you don't want to rush," Williams said. "With my lifestyle, it's tough for me to be patient, but I've learned to do so.''

Williams said healthy shoulders are vital to success on the field.

"The key is to separate from the big guys," said the middle linebacker. "You use your arms to push, which goes through the shoulders. So I need to get my strength back.''

While Williams was sidelined, WVU's coaches moved Pat Lazear from the strong side to the middle. The experiment was a hit, so the Mountaineers have a viable alternative, if not depth, should Williams have to sit a while longer. He could even take a redshirt and return next season.

The country boy, however, doesn't want to fiddle around on the sideline.

"It's my senior year,'' he said. "I'm supposed to be the leader. I've been with these guys for all these years.''

Of course, there are also great expectations for the Mountaineers. And Williams wants a piece of that action.

"Our offense is golden,'' he said. "We have the [offensive] line to make a national championship run. So it's up to the defense. We need to keep that offense on the field and us off of it.''

Williams said the schedule is tougher this season and pointed to games against Colorado and Auburn as "huge.''

"You can't play a cake schedule if you want to play for a national championship,'' said the linebacker. "Playing tougher games is a necessary evil.''

It helps, though, Williams said, to have Pat White and Noel Devine returning in the offensive backfield. It helps against the tougher competition. And it helps if the defense needs time to grow.

"We're definitely going to be putting up the points," said the senior. "With Noel Devine, in practice, I've seen things I've never seen before.

"On defense, we'll pretty much look the same. But on offense there will be a lot more motion. We won't be so stuck on the ground.''

Williams pointed to H-back Will Johnson and quarterback-turned-receiver Bradley Starks as coming attractions.

"We have weapons, man,'' he said.

And in the next month we'll see if WVU's most lethal defensive weapon will be able to fire.

Reach Mitch Vingle at 348-4827 or mitchvin...@wvgazette.com.