College Football players such as Mark Ingram, the Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy have gotten all the attention this year. But one player's achievements have been left largely ignored, yet are no less impressive. Virginia Tech Freshman RB Ryan Williams set a single season ACC record for rushing yards yards and touchdowns when he scored the first of his two TDs in the Hokies 37-14 win over Tennessee in the 2009 Chick Fillet Bowl.
Williams' Chick Fillet Bowl performance capped off an incredible season in which he rushed for 1,655 and 21 rushing touchdowns in 2009 en route to setting a new single season ACC record for most yards rushed and touchdowns scored. The amazing thing about this is that Williams is only a Freshman. Can you imagine if he stays another three years and is able to put up numbers like this, he might end up being the new all time rushing leader in the Football Bowl Division (FBS) level. However, with another season like 2009, Williams is bound to test the waters of the NFL Draft.
However, he should study the tragically failed career of former Ohio St. Running Back Maurice Clarette. A few years ago after Clarette's Sophomore season, Clarette declared ineligible by the NCAA for accepting thousands of dollars in extra benefits from a caterer from near his hometown and for attempting to conceal those gifts from NCAA investigators. He then went into the NFL Draft where he was picked up by the Broncos but ended up being cut. He then committed an armed robbery and is now serving jail time. Williams would do well to learn from Clarette's mistakes and stay in school as long as possible, at least another 2 years. Should Williams heed this advice, he should be a candidate for the Heisman in a year or two and move on to a stellar career in the NFL. Let's hope he stays away from the negative outside influences that brought down Clarette and several other promising college stars.
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