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.
WVU’s Reed Williams (47) had a team-high 15 tackles and forced a fumble in last year’s win at Marshall.
"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.
Now that Godriquez (for sales purposes) "The Product" is gone, is there any hot air left in WV or is everyone chilling these days? Yes, we need our great linbacker, Reed "The Chiller" Williams known in football circles for cooling off offenses, particularly since most of our, out of conference opponents, are picked to win their division or conference titles. East Carolina is picked to win the East/Div of Conf. USA, Colo. is picked to contend for the North with Missouri in the Big 12, and Auburn is picked to win the West Div. of the SEC. All mentioned will run a no huddle version of the spread, you know, the offense originally designed to overcome greater talent. Except, check out the recruiting classes for Auburn, Colo., ECU, over the last 3 yrs. We'll need The Chiller and all other coolers residing in the Eers Defense.
Posted By: bamaeer(11:33pm 07-25-2008)
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Reed is a warrior and 80% for him is like 150% for many. Defense will be fine, I actually think the total coaching makeup we have now is better than what RR had when he was here-not to mention future recruting power that Doc brings. Just like Huggs is doing with bball-wait until we see the recruits that these coaches bring. Hail West Virginia-Hail!
Posted By: Paul1991WVU(1:06pm 07-24-2008)
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Pleeeeaaaase be August 30 already!!!! LET'S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!
Posted By: Mrs. Smith(11:53am 07-24-2008)
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Yep, everything is falling into place. There's a UM blogger on the Ann Arbor website (yeah, I still read it) who thinks UM is now cursed just like the Red Sox (Curse of the Bambino) and the White Sox (the Billy Goat). He (She?) thinks that the football gods have already cursed UM for its part in the RR debacle. Perhaps, by the same act, WVU is now blessed.
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