Williams Enjoying Breakout Season at Elmhurst College

Elmhurst College head football coach Tim Lester knows all about John Belskis, Downers South's head football coach, and the hard-nosed, blue-collar players Belskis develops year in and year out.

Lester has three former Mustangs on his 2010 roster, and he couldn't be happier that they're part of the team.

"Coach Belskis puts out a certain type of kid," Lester said. "The kids out of that program are just flat out hard workers. All three of these kids are just hard-working young men."

Tailback Scottie Williams, one of the three, is a prototypical Downers South player. He has not only continued to put forth maximum effort and improve at Elmhurst, but he's making opposing defenses work overtime this season in an attempt to stop him—which hasn't happened very often.

Williams heads into Elmhurst's showdown against undefeated North Central College—the nation's sixth-ranked Division III team—this Saturday as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's second-leading rusher with 933 yards. He's averaging just over 133 yards per game and almost 6 yards per carry.

Williams gained 150 or more yards each game during a stretch of four consecutive contests, including a 192-yard, three-touchdown effort in a Week 2, 37-7 victory over Olivet College. He rushed for 173 and 186 yards, respectively, in victories over the University of Chicago and North Park, and tacked on 159 yards in a 27-24 loss to No. 12-ranked Wheaton College three weeks ago.

The most telling statistic that sums up the 5-7, 180-pound sophomore's improvement over his freshman year is this: Williams surpassed his entire rushing total for 2009 (533 yards) in his first four games this season.

Williams, who's also been named CCIW Offensive Player of the Week twice within a three-week span, attributes his breakout season to an improved offensive line, improved lower body strength and being better prepared before each game.

Sophomore Charlie Homoky, junior Pete Stamos and senior Erik Personius anchor a Bluejays offensive line that Williams describes as being "a lot stronger and a lot faster."

"We've had a lot of changes (on the offensive line) since last year," he said. "Getting to the college level, you understand that you can't do everything yourself, and when you trust your offensive line big things can happen for you."

The work Williams put in during the off-season to increase his leg strength is evident on game day. Lester says Williams is better equipped to break loose from would-be tacklers who don't hit him square.

"He's done a great job transforming his lower body and has become a more powerful runner," Lester said. "He had good balance last year, but the weight and muscle he's gained (in his lower body) has really increased his balance. He's really hard to bring down, and that's what's enabled him to make some fantastic plays."

Williams also notes that he's better prepared mentally going into games.

"Just being able to understand an opposing team by watching film, paying attention to small things defenses do to help me get a big gain (rushing), and helping with blocking and keying on blitzes. Just the mental things," he said.

Lester said running backs making the transition from high school to college football often have difficulty picking up the nuances of pass blocking. In high school, players are not allowed to cut block, or block a defender below his waist. Although rules regulate cut blocking, it is allowed in college football.

Lester can see a vast improvement in Williams' pass blocking this year compared to his freshman season.

"The linebackers are bigger and faster (in college), much faster than in high school," Lester said. "In high school you're not allowed to cut block. You have to take him (a defensive player) high. For a lot of freshman running backs, that's the last thing that comes. Pass blocking is something new, and you give them a little more power when you tell them you can cut (block). It's a different mentality, but freshmen always struggle with it.

"I'm really excited to see his progression. His pass blocking has increased ten-fold. He used to not be a factor last year, but no freshman is a good pass blocker. I knew I could hand him the ball, but his pass blocking was below average. From where he was last year to where he is this year allows me to leave him out there for a lot of plays."

Williams has a good shot at either breaking or equaling two longstanding Elmhurst College rushing records with three games remaining. He's 232 yards shy of the school record for most yards in a single season (1,165) and needs six touchdowns to tie the record for most rushing TDs (16). Both records were set in 1978.

"I know that I'm on pace," Williams said, "but it's nothing that I want to set my season on. Winning plays a bigger factor in my life than individual records."

So does family. One component that persuaded Williams to play at Elmhurst College is that it's close to his family's home in Woodridge.

"I wanted to make sure my family is able to get to my games and my brother's games," he said. "Having Coach (Lester) showing a lot of faith in me was a big factor as well. He talked to me during high school. After my senior year, he showed a lot of interest in me and recruited me out of high school."

Scottie's brother is Josh Williams, a junior at Downers South who's following in his brother's footsteps. Scottie gained around 1,300 yards his senior year with the Mustangs, and Josh, also a tailback, has already piled up close to 1,200 yards so far this season.

Josh will undoubtedly add to that total as the Mustangs (7-2) host Neuqua Valley in a first-round Class 8A playoff game Friday night.

"Me and my brother have two different running styles," Scottie said. "He's quick and fast, so I think he has a different style than I do. I try to give him different pointers in the weight room and as running back, but it's up to him if he uses them or not. I'm a smarter back. I think my brother takes more abuse and hits than I do."

Scottie believes Josh will attract attention from major colleges.

"I hope so if he keeps his academics straight, keeps himself healthy and keeps getting bigger," he said.

But Elmhurst College might have a slight advantage recruiting-wise at this juncture because Scottie lives under the same roof as Josh.

"I definitely talk to that all the time," Scottie said. "I jokingly say to him that he can always have a home here at Elmhurst College with me."

If Josh eventually decides to play at Elmhurst, he and Scottie would team up for one season in 2012 (Scottie would be a senior, and Josh a freshman).

How's that for a dream backfield?

"It would be," Scottie said.