Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams brings down South Carolina' running back Kenny Miles during the Vols' 31-13 victory at Neyland Stadium on Halloween.
Dan Williams isn't oblivious.
The Tennessee defensive tackle knows time is running out on his college career.
The impact of his breakout season isn't lost on him.
And just in case he hadn't heard about his stock soaring on NFL draft boards, Williams has more than a few teammates around to remind him. But even if the senior isn't completely ignoring the attention and the projections for a bright future, for now he's keeping his focus on Saturday's final home game (TV: ESPNU, 7 p.m.) against Vanderbilt and the present.
"I mean, some of the guys on the team joke with me about that, but I don't get too much into it," Williams said. "I'm just really here trying to win games. But my goals are for this team and still trying to get to a bowl game and I'm just doing everything I can to make sure we win. If my play is helping us win and also helping me out in the long run as well, that's a plus.
"If my play helps me later on in life, that's great. But I think I'll probably think about that more after the bowl game than right now."
The Vols (5-5, 2-4 SEC) actually have some work left to do before a bowl bid is sewn up, though they should be able to take care of that against the Commodores (2-9, 0-7) and give Williams one more college showcase.
He's been under the microscope much more often as the season has progressed, and he's responded with perhaps the best stretch of his career. After a modest four games to open the year, Williams has posted 35 tackles, seven quarterback hurries, a sack and 4.5 other tackles for a loss over the last six games. He leads all SEC linemen in tackles, has at times been virtually unblockable, and if not for Alabama's Terrence Cody, Williams might easily be the toughest matchup at tackle in the conference.
None of that has been lost on the draft gurus or pro scouts who have watched him lately, and they've all had to reevaluate him since the season opened. Once an afterthought, some experts have moved Williams as high as the first round.
"The people that have come through here and mentioned it to me have said he's skyrocketed," UT coach Lane Kiffin said. "When he got here before the year, a couple people told me that they had him as a free agent, not even draftable. He's come a long ways.
"He's playing really well. He'd fit right in there with almost anybody. He really shows up when teams get in basic formations and try to run normal offenses at us. When you spread it out, he's not quite as important because he's more of a bull-rusher. But games like Georgia, Alabama, styles like that, he's played really well."
Williams should have a few chances to make an impact against the toothless Vanderbilt offense, and he's already carving out one of the best statistical seasons in UT history at his position.
That his career started on the other side of the line makes it even more impressive. And though scouts might not care as much about his massive weight loss or adversity he went through with a coaching change as much as his production, the impact the journey had on his future isn't lost on Williams either.
"Sometimes I think about it - especially the weight part," Williams said. "I always remind myself I don't want to get back there (as much as 357 pounds) again. I see how I've developed into a better player since I've been here. I've been through a coaching change, and that helped me too. I think my time here at Tennessee is really going to help me, not just now, but later on in life.
"If I end up with zero tackles but we beat Vanderbilt, that's fine with me."
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 34
SmokeyHound writes:
eric berry first pick in the draft!
to follow: Dan Williams
Ricco mccoy
MOntario Hardesty
jeff cottam
chris walker
gerald jones
jonathan crompton
austin rogers
and much more
SmokeyHound writes:
we are done for next year... we have no other big playmaker... bryce brown is my opinions best player
beatlecakes writes:
A monster that I will enjoy seeing on Sundays. I appreciate his breakout season!
mercuryvol writes:
Contrast his comments with what has surrounded this team for the past week.We need more like him in the future and I think these coaches will bring 'em in. He'll be a great situation tackle and therefore will probably go late 1st early 2nd round. Good luck DW.
Laydbakvol writes:
You speakie dee english, no?
britt writes:
Gonna miss big Dan next year. Just hope hes our first player taken cause EB decides to return for 1 more year.
bluetick writes:
Great attitude and work ethic. Another model player for others to learn from.
Witch_Doctor writes:
Hahaha!! Witch Doctor chuckle so hard bone fall out nose.
Bones never lie.
*Witch Doctor convinced Smokey is KNS employee in stealth mode and no it wasnt the bad grammar that gave it away either! lol
troubleinc writes:
LMAO!
SLOBBER_knocker_U writes:
at least 3 of those players you named will be back next year. We will have more playmakers than you think
FWBVol writes:
Jones and Walker are both juniors and I believe they'll come back for their senior years.
Next year there will be more talent coming in to go along with Brown. Teague will be a sophomore at receiver and will be a bigger threat. Oku will be a nice change of pace guy. Toney Williams, the kid that was looking good at tailback before an injury will be a redshirt freshman too. Add to those guys the kids Kiffin will recruit and we should be OK.
DrJCrown_theMagicMan writes:
Playmakers next year...Stocker,GJones,DMoore,TPoole,BBrown, and I personally think DOku and MTeague will emerge good players adding a few plays to mix.
Next year is going to be fine.
Dan the man Williams needs 1 more sack b4 leaving UT!
(Id take Crompton 3rd round one of the best QB's out there with something to prove hasn't really lit it up in College thats a type of guy that does well in NFL) How many systems does he know?
sidwalkvol writes:
Kiper?
Scouts are telling you...
Wow.
LittleJohnny writes:
Yes, the Cub Scouts.
volswithclass writes:
Dan was a darn good player last year. This talk about being a late draft pick or free agent is bs. It is the current staff trying to take credit for dan williams talent. He was just as talented last year. His stats last year were 48 tackles / 8.5 tackles for loss / 8 quarterback pressures / 1.5 sacks. Dan was high on NFL boards after the 2008 season no matter what people say. Credit to a great kid
FreeTDTN writes:
You never know who will step up and it may even be who you least expected. As far as Dan Williams, I've been high on him for years. I knew he had the potential to be big time. He's played like a #1 draft pick this season.
FreeTDTN writes:
I love the intensity of Coach O on the DL, but Brooks was a damn good DL coach as well. I agree with you on Dan Williams too. It is not as if he is a one hit wonder. He played exceptionally well last season too.
cltvol writes:
I dont think i've seen a d tackle that big go sideline to sideline the way 55 does. Also think tide's cody better lose about 60-75 el bees. They fatten those guys up a/la/ ted washington and probably shorten their life span by 20 yrs.
I hope we smear vandy. I have been cussing them all week in honor of Joe Thompson and in memory of George Cafego.
tonyvick#213307 writes:
I was thinking the girl scouts, the brownies even.
ut_vols13 writes:
Good Job!!
AceVentura writes:
Chris Walker is a junior and he's coming back. Gerald Jones is a junior and is coming back. Austin Rogers got hurt way before the season started so he hasn't had an impact at all. And I doubt he'll ever make it to an NFL camp. "much more" is not a player lol. Just kidding on the last one but I made my point.
navarrebeachvol writes:
yea, we should just go ahead and cancel the season. opinions are like hiney holes and yours stinks quite bad.
navarrebeachvol writes:
LOL! nice
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
Walker is far from ready for the NFL..The talk of him being unblockable hasn't exactly panned out..Jones and Moore have been good receivers for UT but with their limited size,speed and moves they will be lucky to make a training squad in the NFL..Sadly the same is true for Crompton..Clausen was a proven QB and never took a snap in the NFL; what chance would JC have..Ainge is still #3 QB with the Jets eventhough he played well in preseason games; Too bad about Rodgers; we'll never know if he could have elevated his talents or not..I think in time his brother could be very good if they don't bury him down the depth chart; He has very deceptive speed and is trying to adjust to the much harder throwing SEC QB's..When you see Zach on film he kind of has a wesley walker kind of quality
orangeluvr writes:
IT'S gotta be the shoes !! No actually , ability want to, and good coaching . Good luck in the NFL, young VOLS !!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I'm not saying that JC WILL be drafted, but pro scouts don't look at career stats and such in making final decisions about who to draft. They look at what a guy can do NOW and what more they think he might do in the future. For that matter, they won't forget that he was a 5-star coming out of HS. They will also take note of how he has been jacked around with the ever-changing offensive systems he played under at UT. He has the size, he has the arm, and now he is producing the numbers, and doing that in an avowedly NFL-based system against some of the best college defenses in the country.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
If it is true that he was projected as a 3d-rounder in the summer, playing his way into a possible 1st-rounder is a pretty big jump. That means he probably will have moved ahead of at least a dozen quality D-linemen and will make a LOT more money as a result. Well-deserved, IHMO.
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
Oh, my, that is funny.
SKO_Vol82 writes:
What "scouts" are telling you Crompton is still not a draftable player? Boy Scouts? Girl Scouts? Get Em Up Scouts? Once again, your pomposity rises to the top like spoiled cream, even when you're feigning niceness. Can you go lurk on someone else's site? I heard everyone's having a blast kicking Weis on the ND site. C'mon, you're beginning to get comical in your assholiness.
asleep#212036 writes:
Statistically, only those players drafted in rounds 1 and 2 will make a roster so round 3 draftees don't fare any better than free agents. Seriously doubt Scott is first rounder or that McCoy goes as high as round 2 due to size/speed limitations. There should be at least 2 SEC schools who will have a better draft than UT in the first two rounds, not to mention USC and Texas. If your point is that we have underachieved - agree - that's why Fulmer is no longer the head coach. The current staff has, without doubt, gotten this team to play much better and according to any national source you use, the future looks much brighter now than a year ago. You are apparently one of the few who can't (or won't) see it. Had Kiffin and his staff coached these players 4 or 5 years instead of one, given the latent talent both of us agree is present on the current roster, we could be looking at the BCS, not Peach or Music City. I do agree that Dan will go higher than Cody because he is more athletic, more versatile, and because NFL offensive linemen block against guys that big every day - he just can't make the impact against an NFL offense that he can in college. Crompton is likely undraftable because he has only done well in this, his senior year, and because even then, he has struggled against elite defenses, say those in the Top 25 nationally - like Bama, Florida, and Ole Miss. South Carolina was the exception but their defensive stats have certainly suffered once they hit the meat of their schedule. No way any underclassman other than Berry leaves early - they just won't have high enough draft status to warrant it. Even with the rookie salary cap coming for 2011, they will do better to wait rather than make a practice squad for peanuts.
navarrebeachvol writes:
tweeeeeeeeet! 10 yard paragragh violation! dude, break it up a bit!
FLVOL79 writes:
It would be interesting to see if Crompton can get in. I thought Ainge was a much better QB and he rides the pine 3rd string. Guys like Kurt Warner come in with a rather lackluster college experience and they end up playing forever. It will be interesting.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Dan Williams ascendency this year is tesimony to what good coaching can do - both morivationally and technically. Examples like this give great credibility that when the Kiffin's say that they can help get these kids ready for the next level, they are correct. Without the Kiffin coaching staff, I doubt Dan would be this far along.
Blizake writes:
The ones getting drafted in the future will be:
-Eric Berry
-Rico McCoy
-Montario Hardesty
-Chris Walker
-Gerald Jones
-Dan Williams
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