Williams Hoping the UCLA Hype Is Correct

The 1995 UCLA football media guide includes plenty of optimism about Crespi alumnus Shaun Williams.

It calls Williams a future star.

That would usually be a bold statement for a sophomore who played sparingly as a freshman and made only 21 tackles.

But if any school has license to predict such promise from a young free safety, it is UCLA. After all, five former Bruins are currently playing in the NFL: Matt Darby (Buffalo), Eric Turner (Cleveland), Marvin Goodwin (Philadelphia), Carnell Lake (Pittsburgh, who played linebacker in college) and James Washington (Washington).

Five UCLA free safeties have been first-team All-Americans: Kenny Easley (three times), the late Don Rogers, Turner, Darby and Goodwin.

UCLA apparently expects Williams to follow in their footsteps. A reserve who played both offense (tailback) and defense in 1994, Williams won the starting job at free safety in spring practice. At 6 feet 2, 194 pounds, he has the prototypic size for the position.

“Kenny Easley, everybody talks about him,” Williams said of the former Bruin great, the only defensive back to have his number (No. 5) retired and one of only two UCLA players to receive All-American honors three times (1978-80).

“Don Rogers? Yes, yes, yes,” Williams said of the 1985 AFC rookie of the year with the Cleveland Browns. “The list goes on an on.”

Williams, who has boyhood memories of watching Turner, doesn’t mind the “future star” tag if it means his name will be added to that select list.

“I’m looking to more than uphold that tradition,” he said. “I’m just happy I can be in this defensive backfield, have a chance to show what I can do out there and become one of that long line of free safeties.

“There were a lot of defensive backs, not just free safeties, that played here.”

The NFL, in fact, had drafted 20 players from the UCLA secondary since 1976. Twenty defensive backs in 20 years.

The Bruins appear to be grooming Williams for the same destiny.

“That’s on my mind,” Williams said of the implication that he, too, will play in the NFL. “But I’m just out here to have fun. I’m playing college ball right now. And if I get a chance to go to that level, I’ll be more than happy to take it.”

Williams, who rushed for 1,835 yards and 23 touchdowns as a tailback and had over 100 tackles and three interceptions at Crespi two years ago, realizes that he still needs to prove he can be a competent college player.

On the last day of spring practice, Bruin defensive backs coach Larry Marmie told Williams the safety job was his to lose.

“I love a challenge, and this is a challenge for me,” Williams said. “It’s on the line. I’m in the position to do it. Basically, what I have to do now is perform.

“This is something I want to do more than anything else, play starting free safety and become great at it like the rest.”

Williams, however, wishes he could have spent more time preparing this summer. But his schedule included summer-session classes at UCLA and a job as a recreation supervisor. Williams said he would have preferred five days of weightlifting instead of three, and more than two hours a day practicing his coverages.

“That’s average,” he said. “But I don’t want to be average out here. So I need to work harder than average.”