His name is Trevor Williams. But you might as well call Penn State’s veteran cornerback Billy DB Williams.
At least that’s what Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Bob Shoop thinks.
“Trevor is just so cool,” Shoop said after the Blue-White Game last weekend.
“He reminds me of Billy Dee Williams – those of us who are old enough to know who Billy Dee Williams is.”
When Shoop was a kindergartner back in suburban Pittsburgh, Billy Dee played a smooth Gale Sayers opposite James Caan’s Brian Piccolo in the 1971 tear-jerker, “Brian’s Song.” When Shoop was a three-sport standout at Riverview High School, Billy Dee was the canny and charming Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars.”
And now that Shoop heads one of the nation’s top defenses at Penn State, Trevor is a somewhat-surprising cool-as-a-cucumber senior leader of the 2015 Penn State squad.
Williams, who spent his true freshman season playing wide receiver in 2012, switched to the secondary in the spring of 2013 and has registered 19 starts since then, fourth-most on the team, after Christian Hackenberg (25), Jordan Lucas (24) and Nyeem Wartman (20). His savvy shows.
“Trevor’s just cool out there. He doesn’t make mistakes,” Shoop said. “He’s cool, he’s calculated. He just does his job. I feel so comfortable and so confident with him out there manning the field corner position.”
CAPTAIN FOR A DAY
When Williams walked onto the field before 68,000 fans in Beaver Stadium on Saturday, it was a big step for him. He and Hackenberg were the two captains for the Blue squad, comprised mainly of veterans from both sides of the ball. It said a lot about Williams, who was mainly a quiet and contemplative sort his first three seasons.
The recognition and reward, ultimately bestowed upon him by head coach James Franklin, was not lost on Williams, who spent the spring working hard leading by word as well as deed.
“Coach Shoop told me I was going to be a captain yesterday,” Williams said a half-hour after the scrimmage. “I guess the film and my hard work speak for themselves. I was fortunate enough to be the captain. It was pretty exciting. I felt very honored to be the team captain. Going out for the coin toss and shaking hands with Devon Still was a great opportunity.”
For Williams, who has 51 career tackles (39 of them solo) and four interceptions, the message from Shoop went far beyond being named captain for a day. It was a rite of passage. He’s gone from wide receiver with 10 receptions in 2012 to part-time starter in 2013 – Bill O’Brien benched him after six games – to a full-time starter in 2014 to Billy Dee in 2015. Cool.
“I know that for me, as an older guy, I wasn’t very vocal. So as a player I was always someone who led by example,” he said. “This year I had to be more vocal as a leader, as well as lead by example. Young guys like Grant Haley and Chris Campbell and Amani (Oruwariye), when it’s their time they’ll need to lead the next group of corners that comes in.
“It’s a matter of holding myself accountable. It’s helped me be more competitive. Our secondary is very competitive. We have two young guys (freshmen John Reid and Garrett Taylor) coming in and it’s not going to do anything but make us better. I’m setting the bar high for myself, so I know the younger guys have to as well.”
SHELL? SHOCKED
No matter how much Williams – or others – may think he’s come out of his shell, Shoop kind of chuckles at that notion.
“He did? When did that happen?” said Shoop on Saturday, a bit faux incredulous. “Are we talking about the same Trevor Williams?
“Trevor’s leadership is a different type of leadership. He’s not a very vocal leader, but he comes to work every day. He practices exceptionally hard, he responds to constructive criticism and coaching. He’s really excelled at that position.”
All four of Williams’ interceptions have been excellent. In 2013, his two picks both came in the fourth quarter in Penn State territory, on the road, to preserve victories against Syracuse and Wisconsin. And last season, he picked off Gary Nova twice in a night game on the road against Rutgers to help give the Nittany Lions a victory by the slimmest of margins, 13-10. Smooth moves, indeed. But Williams fancies himself more A-Rob and Amos than Billy Dee.
Williams spent his first season at Penn State on offense, playing wide receiver – with one start at home against Ohio State – and watching Allen Robinson emerge as one of the top talents in the country. With veteran quarterback Matt McGloin pulling the trigger, Robinson caught 80 passes for 1,042 yards and 11 TDs in 2012.
Four months after his freshman season ended, Williams was switched to the secondary. There, he learned his craft from Adrian Amos, who like Williams and fellow backfield mate D’Quan Davis, attended Calvert College High School in Maryland. Williams watched Robinson and Amos in wonder, taking it all in, including battles between the two that occasionally ended with a swing made in frustration.
“As a freshman I came in and kept my mouth shut and watched the older guys,” Williams said. “I watched what they did right and watched things that they did wrong.”
“Who did things right?” he was asked.
“Allen Robinson,” Williams replied without hesitation.
“That’s when I was playing receiver; that’s who I was looking up to,” he added. “On defense, it was Adrian Amos. I learned a lot by watching those two guys and seeing all the hard work they put into in the offseason. Much it of it was doing the small things. It made me want to work out like they did, come into a workout the right way and doing extra things – extra reps, watching more film. As a freshman watching those two go one-on-one you had to get your popcorn ready. You knew there was going to be fireworks.”
THE JORDAN RULES
Now, Williams feels like it’s his turn to provide a main spark on defense, along with fellow senior Jordan Lucas, who made the shift from corner to safety in the offseason.
“Our chemistry is better because we’ve gone through certain plays before,” Williams said. “Jordan knows what I’m going to say before I even say it. We communicate a lot more. When we’re on defense in Beaver Stadium and the crowd is yelling, we can still get the checks and alert calls.
“It’s not going to be a problem with Jordan Lucas or myself around, or Hackenberg or Geno Lewis. The younger guys respect the older guys on the team. Our chemistry is very strong We’ll text our position (players) and tell them, ‘Look we’re doing extra after the workout,’ or ‘We’re coming in to watch extra film.’ ”
At the ripe of age of 21 years, seven months and nine days, Trevor Williams is admittedly a changed man. He’s added 10 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-1 frame in the offseason and although there’s additional weight on his shoulders, Williams likes the player – and leader – he has become.
“I have a business-like approach now. That’s the biggest way I’ve changed,” Williams said. “I’m being more vocal with the younger guys. I’ve always been the guy to lead by example. Speaking more to the younger guys seems to make an impact. If I can pass along my knowledge to them, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
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