Mitchell Blair
Riderville.com
The Saskatchewan Roughriders took a major hit in the linebacking corps in the off-season. Barrin Simpson was released, Sean Lucas retired and Jerrell Freeman signed with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts meaning the football team would be forced to go with three new players to start the 2012 season in the position. When head coach Corey Chamblin and defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall sat down to plot out what the defence would look like, it was agreed that a Canadian would be put in the middle and that player was Shomari Williams.
Drafted first overall in the CFL in 2010, Williams has tried his luck at outside linebacker and at defensive end, but it is hoped that being the man in the middle is where he can flourish.
“One of the things Corey wanted to do when he came in here is change the ratio,” Hall said. “He’s been accustomed to having an import at the free safety spot so we looked around to see what we could do and we realized we couldn’t put Shomari back on the end because of Brent Hawkins and Odell Willis. We sat down and thought Shomari had the athleticism and the experience that we needed and so far it has worked out well for us.”
The 27-year-old admits he was caught off guard when he was told by the coaching staff what his role was, but he was more than ready to embrace the challenge thrown in front of him.
“I was kind of surprised, but I wasn’t if you know what I mean,” Williams said. “I have played outside linebacker or end for most of my football career in Canada, but I did play some in the middle when I played at the University of Houston and I had some experience in high school playing there so it’s not completely foreign right now.”
Two games into the season, the experiment is passing with flying colours. Williams has registered eight tackles on a defence that leads the league in many categories including points allowed as the team has allowed just 17 total points while engineering a pair of victories to start the season. Williams says so far, so good, but he knows there is a long ways to go.
“It’s working well right now,” Williams admitted. “There are definitely some things that I have to get better at and the coaches are pushing me to improve in some other areas, so I’m just taking it one week at a time and trying to get better each week. One of the things I am trying to get used to is the amount of running you have to do and the fact that you have to see the whole field and the adjustments that are needed on each play.”
One of those things that Hall and Chamblin want Williams to do is become more of a force in the defensive huddle.
“I really like the way Shomari has adapted to the position,” Chamblin said. ‘He has the speed and the ability to be a middle linebacker, but the one thing we keep telling him is to become more of a vocal leader out there and be an on-the-field presence, but I really like what he is doing right now. He is a real asset.”
Some have wondered if the term “bust” could be applied to Williams, because he hasn’t been able to make an impact in his first two years. Williams has heard the talk, but he’s not letting it bother him as he takes on this new assignment hoping to find the spot that he hasn’t been able to find so far on the starting roster.
“I don’t play to what people outside the organization are saying,” Williams said. “It just matters what the guys in the locker-room are saying and what the coaches are saying. I put pressure on myself each season to be a contributor on this team and make plays when I am called upon to do so. I’m happy right now that I’m in a position to contribute on a regular basis and I hope I keep earning the coaches faith and that I can show everyone what I can do being the guy in the middle.”
Williams and that defence will get a solid test on Saturday when the defending Grey Cup champs come to town. The B.C Lions will be at Mosaic Stadium Saturday afternoon at 1 o’clock to take on the Riders in a game where the winner will be the CFL’s lone unbeaten at 3-0.
