LB Williams named a scholar-athlete finalist

By Dave Morrison

West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams was in New York on Tuesday, being recognized by the National Football Foundation during the 2009 College Football Hall of Fame new conference at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Williams was named a scholar-athlete finalist.

The Mountaineer football team is off until Saturday, when it will begin preparations for its New Year’s Day showdown with Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.

All tickets to the game have been sold.

Two Hall of Fame inductees, former Pineville star Curt Warner, who went on to play at Penn State and in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, and former WVU QB Major Harris both spoke at Tuesday’s event in New York.

Others scholar-athletes at the event included quarterbacks Tim Tebow (Florida) and Colt McCoy (Texas), who are both Heisman Trophy finalists.

“I’d like to thank the foundation for all they’ve done for us over the past few days. I’d like to thank my university, all the staff involved with getting me here, but coaches, my media guys that do such a great job for us each and every day, my family and friends,” Williams said. “It’s really an honor to be up here with these guys. I’ve had the privilege of meeting them personally. It’s really been a special event. I really wouldn’t be blessed with this opportunity without the event you guys are putting on for us. So I really appreciate it. I proudly represent the state of West Virginia and all we do.”

Coach Bill Stewart wasn’t surprised by the honor.

“I told the team (Sunday,) I said, ‘This guy right here means so much to me.’ I was in school with his mother at Fairmont, I have known his dad for 30-plus years and I recruited his brother Justin Williams,” Stewart said.

“It has been a tremendous feeling for me and his family. I went into his home, and not a lot of people thought he could play college football, but I thought he could.

“For him to have his career ending like it is with all of these nice honors, I couldn’t be more proud. I have a bond with him. It is all a special tribute to him.”

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West Virginia’s much-maligned offensive line pulled off an unusual feat this season. The five starters played every snap during the regular season (although at times at different positions).

That is a rare feat in college football these days.

Stewart credited the strength and conditioning staff for that fact.

“I have never remembered a season when the same guys took every snap all season,” the coach said. “It is a real tribute to Mike Joseph and how he does the position-specific lifting. We changed our lifting here two years ago and we are position-specific. That is why we don’t have as many injuries. Our strength program right now is on top of it as it has ever been. This is a great fact from that. They just keep getting up and they are just tougher than tough.”

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Not only does Florida State coach Bobby Bowden have obvious ties to West Virginia as the former head coach, but so do members of his staff.

Coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher is a Clarksburg native, and Rick Trickett, a former offensive line coach under Rich Rodriguez, is the Seminoles’ offensive line coach.

Trickett is presumably considering the head coaching job at Marshall, according to published reports.

For Stewart, it will be like a homecoming of sorts.

“I know these people (the Florida State coaching staff) and it makes it more interesting that you are going up against such great men in the business,” Stewart said. “These are great coaches and men I have looked up to for 40 years. It will be a special game. It is like you are playing family with all of the West Virginia ties.”

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Apparently. West Virginia’s second-place finish in the Big East wasn’t impressive to the folks who make up the All-Big East team for Phil Stele’s publications.

Only one Mountaineer — running back Noel Devine – made the first-team offense.

And Robert Sands, along with punter Scott Kozlowski, was tabbed on defense.

Five Pitt players alone were named to the offensive first team.

Even more interesting, Connecticut had four players on the first team’s two units.

Four players were named to the second team (WR Jock Sanders, OL Selvish Capers, LB Pat Lazear and K Tyler Bitancurt) and four were named to the third team (QB Jarrett Brown, OL Josh Jenkins, LB Williams and DL Julian Miller).

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