Travis Williams

Williams might not be the biggest middle linebacker in the collegiate ranks, but he is one of the better in-motion tacklers in the South. The cousin of NFL running back Duce Staley is a classic case of big things coming in small packages. The three-year starter is a well-respected performer who was awarded the Pat Dye Leadership Award for the defense from the coaching staff in 2005. Williams holds the Spring Valley High School records for most tackles in a season (160) and most solo tackles in one game (17) during his senior campaign. He also had five sacks and caused four fumbles that year. As a junior, he registered 137 tackles (single-season school record 110 solos), 19 stops for losses and two sacks. He holds the school career-record with 297 tackles. Williams was named the Most Valuable Player of the South Carolina North-South All-Star Game in 2000. He was a first-team All-State, two-time All-Region and Area Defensive Most Valuable Player, in addition to being a member of the All-Power Bar Team for the South. He was rated one of the top 20 players in South Carolina according to Super Prep. Williams also lettered three years in basketball and four years in track. Williams redshirted in 2001 and saw brief action in thirteen games at Auburn in 2002. He posted ten tackles (4 solos) with a sack and an interception as a reserve inside linebacker. He took over middle linebacker chores in 2003, going on to start his next 36 games. Williams finished third on the team with 67 tackles (24 solos) as a sophomore. He had 8.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, four quarterback pressures, three pass deflections and a forced fumble. He earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior, leading the team with a career-high 80 tackles (50 solos). Williams added two sacks, nine stops for losses and five pressures. He caused a fumble, knocked down two passes and picked off two others. An early season turf toe injury kept Williams from playing vs. Ball State in 2005, but he still finished second on the team with 68 tackles (37 solos). The second-team All-SEC pick also had 2.5 sacks, 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and two fumble recoveries. Williams appears in 49 games at Auburn and finished his career with 36 consecutive starts. He finished with 225 tackles (112 solos), 5.5 sacks for minus-18 yards, 24.5 stops for losses of 54 yards and ten quarterback pressures. He caused five fumbles, deflected six passes and intercepted four others for 29 yards in returns.

williams is an all-out hustler with good weight room totals, but it does not translate to the football field due to a lack of bulk. he is a hard worker who is confident in his ability to flash to the ball. he is best when in motion and operating in space, as he lacks the bulk to prevent blockers from erasing him out of the play when working in the trenches.

Williams' ability to slip through blocks with his burst allows him to make plays in backside pursuit. He has very good closing speed and accelerates instantly towards the sidelines to drag ballcarriers down from behind or shut down the cutback lanes. He gets rag-dolled at the line of scrimmage when an offensive lineman latches on, but even without good lower body strength, he can push fullbacks and clog the rush lanes.

positives

Shows good overall muscle development on his compact frame with a good bubble, tight waist, adequate chest thickness and great field instincts...Lacks the frame to face up to blockers working in-line, but has the quickness, lateral range and flexibility to be a nice fit at weak-side linebacker in a Cover-2 scheme...Solid special teams contributor whose loose hips and ability to pick up receivers underneath could see him shift to safety at the next level...Does a very good job of locating the ball, making smooth adjustments on the move...Fills the inside rush lanes well and puts himself in position to make the play in run containment...Flashes ability to jolt, jab and fend off blocks when on the move...Has excellent closing acceleration to reach the outside, playing with good effort to drag ballcarriers down from behind...Has the speed to play sideline-to-sideline, taking good angles while maintaining balance to sift through trash and fight hard to drag the opponent down...Demonstrates above average body control to fit when operating in space and stays low in his pads while wrapping well...Has the loose hips and quick feet to stay tight on the receiver in man coverage, knowing his assignments to lock down on the player he's covering...Very effective in zone coverage, anticipating the pass well and has the quick forward burst to jump the play and attack the ball...Decent blitzer with good timing and that extra burst needed to avoid blockers coming off the edge.

negatives

Greatly undersized to play the middle, but has the speed to possibly shift to weak side at the next level...Needs additional bulk to prevent blockers from engulfing and washing him out of the play, but his frame has reached maximum growth potential...Has good weight room strength, but lacks the lower body power to hold his ground at the point of attack and will never be able to create a pile or split double teams with his marginal bulk...Best when tackling on the move, as he is too often covered up when trying to attack the inside gaps...Has good edge blitzing speed, but when attacking the pocket from the inside, he needs a free lane or must surprise the blockers with his burst to avoid contact in order to get into the backfield...Does not have the lower body strength to prevent from being dominated at the point of attack.

even as a weak-side linebacker, he might not be able to face up, shed and disengage if a bigger blocker gets into his body. he will not hesitate to take on linemen though, even if the results are not satisfactory. you can see his acceleration and lateral movement when he takes angles to get to the outside run.

Williams has the change of direction agility, body control and quick feet to come out cleanly from his backpedal. He gets good depth in his pass drops and has the loose hips and balance to recover if beaten. His ability to play the zone could see him be a better fit for the strong safety position. He can cover the middle of the field effectively and has the anticipation skills to attack the ball in flight.

2003: Sat out the Western Kentucky game (9/27) with a right rotator cuff strain. 2005: Did not run on Pro Timing Day (5/03) due to a left high ankle sprain...Missed the Ball State game (9/17) with left turf toe.

Campus: 4.62 in the 40-yard dash

380-pound bench press

300-pound power clean

35-inch vertical jump

11.34 60-yard shuttle

31 ½-inch arm length

8 5/8-inch hands

Right-handed

13/21 Wonderlic score. Combine: 4.69-second 40-yard dash.

33 1/2-inch vertical jump.

9'10" broad jump.

Bench-pressed 225 pounds 18 times.

Attended Spring Valley (Columbia, S.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Jimmy Noonan

Holds the school records for most tackles in a season (160) and most solo tackles in one game (17) during his senior campaign

Also had five sacks and caused four fumbles that year

As a junior, he registered 137 tackles (single-season school record 110 solos), 19 stops for losses and two sacks. He holds the school career-record with 297 tackles

Named the Most Valuable Player of the South Carolina North-South All-Star Game in 2000

First-team All-State, two-time All-Region and Area Defensive Most Valuable Player, in addition to being a member of the All-Power Bar Team for the South

Rated one of the top 20 players in South Carolina according to Super Prep

Also lettered three years in basketball and four years in track.

Alton Telegraph All-Metro Player of the Year

PrepStar All-Region selection

Set a school record for career rushing yards with 2,722 as well as a single-season record of 1,503 yards

Also broke school record for points scored

Earned All-State honors by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association

South Central Conference first-team All-Conference as both an offensive and defensive back

Named to the Tom Lemming 2001 Reebok All-American team

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Area Player of the Year

Champaign News-Gazette All-State team

Earned 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and track at East Alton-Wood River High School

Named the team's Most Valuable Player

Also an All-Conference performer in basketball and track

A long and triple jumper in track, placing third and second, respectively, at state in 2000

Also qualified for state in the 100 and 200 meters

High school football coach was Gary Carter.

Full given name is Travis Jacob Williams

Born Oct. 14, 1983 in Alton, Ill.

The son of Rory Williams and Carolyn Johnson

Enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Hobbies include fishing and hunting

Favorite athlete is St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk

A four-year honor roll student

Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and performed with a show choir.

Criminology major

Cousin of NFL running back Duce Staley

Son of Cathy and David Williams

Born Travis Stephon Williams on 1/20/83 in Columbia, South Carolina. BACK TO TOP PROFILE GAME ANALYSIS PLAYER NEWS PLAYER STATISTICS Expanded & Classic Player Profiles Are OFFICIAL NFL RECORDS by Scout Dave Te' Thomas, NFLScouting, NFLDraftScout.com © Copyright - The Sports Xchange , My Sports Daily . All Rights Reserved Home | Contact Us | About Us | Privacy Policy