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Each year the Walter Payton Player of the Year Award is given to the most outstanding division 1-AA football player. This year, Black Bear running back Marcus Williams has been selected to the “watch list” as one of the 16 candidates in the running for the award.
The candidates are chosen by a nation-wide panel of media and college sports information directors. The Sports Network started the award in 1987.
“It’s great to have this honor, but I have to give credit to my teammates, especially the offensive line,” Williams said.
Williams has a great deal of respect for his underrated line and what they do on the field. He said they play hard every single play and often times don’t get the credit they deserve.
The 5’10 tailback from Amherst, Mass. is competing against six other running backs, six quarterbacks, two wide receivers and a tight end for the Payton Award.
Presently, Williams is averaging 142-yards a game and six-yards a carry for the Bears, the best in the league. That statistic also tops the other running backs up for the award. The closest to him is Mo Abdulqaadir of the University of Southern Illinois. He has 392 all purpose yards, averaging almost 120-yards a game.
Coach Jack Cosgrove compliments Williams, saying he’s one of the better backs in the league with a high level of talent.
This talent, is what has helped Williams surpass the 2,000 career yard mark during the 24-14 win over Florida International University on Saturday, making him eighth among the Black Bear’s all time leading rushers.
“Every time he steps on the field he’s the best player out there,” quarterback Ron Whitcomb said of his teammate.
But Williams isn’t necessarily looking to be the best on the field. He said he just does what he can to help his team go out with the win.
“If we have a good record then I know I’ve done my job. All of the other stuff will come,” Williams humbly said.
And all the other stuff has come, but not easily. Williams spent the summer preparing himself day in and day out. He wanted to make sure he came back in better shape than the season before; and he did.
“The seasons are long and you need to be able to endure the pain and hard work that goes along with it,” Williams said. “It’s easy to be lazy in the summer, but that’s when you really have to go out and step it up.”
Williams feels he is an overall better athlete this season, and says that his confidence has risen as well. He said that those two things, along with an added year of experience have improved his game tremendously and will continue to do so.
At the rate Williams is going, he could reach and surpass the Bears’ all-time leading rusher. Lorenzo Bouier holds the record at 3,828 career yards. Williams has approximately 20 games left as a Black Bear and will need to average more than 91- yards a game to top the list.
Williams’ next chance to up his yardage comes this Saturday as the Bears take on the Minutemen of Massachusetts in a 6 p.m. game at Alfond Stadium.
