McAdams Football Coach Kenneth Nelson likes to compare his players to cars.
Earlier this summer, he said Malique Greer was like an old Ford F-150 pickup truck.
If that’s the case, Nelson said running back Tydarious Williams is like the little engine that could.
Williams will have a major role for the Bulldogs this season as the will get the majority of carries from the running back position and will also be an outside linebacker.
That’s a big load for a 5-foot-4 1/2 inch, 130-pound junior. But Nelson said Williams can handle it.
“He is an undersized kid and I like him a lot,” Nelson said. “He has got to be on the field for us to have a chance. He brings so much to the table. He ran the ball really good in the spring game and had some tackles playing in the box for the first tie. He had some big runs and had a really good springs. We are really excited about what he can do this season.”
On offense, Williams will be the featured running back for the Bulldogs.
“He was a slot last year and is going to be the running back this season and get a lot of carries,” Nelson said. “It’s a position change for him because we wanted to get the ball in his hands a lot more. He’s small but he can run in between the tackles and likes the contact. He has some good blocking and a good fullback and we feel comfortable running between the tackles or getting him outside. He has good speed but he’s willing to bang it up inside the tackles. He’s just a gritting kid. He lifts hard and plays hard as well.”
For Williams, it will be his first action in the backfield since the seventh grade. In that year, he only got one carry.
“I got to play in one game in the seventh grade,” Williams said. “On my first play, they ran me up the middle and a big guy fell on me and broke my ankle. They carried me off the field and that was my first game ever.”
But that didn’t run Williams off from football. He came back as an eighth grader and played on the high school team as a freshman corner back and recover. After playing the same position as a sophomore, Williams will see a total position change on both sides of the ball this season.
He will move from cornerback to outside linebacker on defense and play more in the box.
“On defense, we were trying to get him closer to the ball so we moved him to outside linebacker,” Nelson said. “He’s a good tackler and has a good motor. He has good speed and kind of hard to get outside on, and he does a good job of containing on the perimeter. He’s a like a predator on defense. He’s constantly after the ball and can smell blood out there.”
Williams said he prefers defense over offense.
“I like defense the best,” Williams said. “Your whole goal on defense is to stop the other team so when you make the tackle or the stop, it feels like you have accomplished something. I feel like I’m somebody that the coach can depend on. I’m going to give him my all on the field. I thought I could have played better last year and read the field a lot better. I’ve just got to work harder continue to get better.”
Williams is also a standout in the weight room and was a state champion powerlifter for McAdams in the 132-pound weight class last year.
And Nelson said he will need every muscle on Friday nights.
McAdams’ Tydarius Williams is back at running back for the Bulldogs this season.
Robbie Robertson / The Star-Herald
“He will probably never get off the field,” Nelson said. “He will return punts and kicks and play every special team. He’s the little engine that could. He takes a licking and keeps on ticking. He doesn’t have any quit on him. And he has an attitude about him that I really like. He has a good competitive nature and is always trying to outdo bigger kids. And he needs to have that kind of attitude as a smaller kid. I understand why he has that as a smaller kid and I appreciate that about him.”
Nelson said he likes that Williams has some little-man syndrome and plays with a high motor.
“He has to earn everything he gets and he takes on that persona,” Nelson said. “He doesn’t shy away from anything. He’s the kind of kid that you can never count out. He’s a highly motivated kid and has a good mom at home what cares about him. But he does have some issues that he has to deal with. He just wants to be considered the best and is not going to take any less. He wants to win and wants to do the right thing. He holds himself accountable. He just wants to do his best and do whatever it takes to win.”
