revor Williams has a habit of under-
selling.
The junior cornerback is widely re-
garded as one of the hardest-working
players on Penn State's football team. He
talks about it himself – "working hard all
o8-season," he'll say – but the words
don't do justice to the e8ort that has gone
into his performance in each game this
season.
One onlooker said Williams spent the
o8-season putting more work in – in ad-
dition to team workouts – than any other
player on defense. His summer was de-
voted to 6lm study, individual practice
reps and anything else necessary to get
himself ready for the 2014 season.
Realistically, he didn't have much choice.
Having transitioned from a true fresh-
man wide receiver into a part-time starting
cornerback opposite Jordan Lucas during
the 2013 season, Williams had an up-
and-down year and was the source of
some lingering doubt about Penn State's
pass defense. Lucas, a dynamic, skilled
cornerback who started 12 games and won
honorable mention All-Big Ten notice,
was the sure thing in Penn State's sec-
ondary heading into the 2014 season.
Williams was the unknown. He had 6n-
ished with 24 tackles and two interceptions
as a sophomore, but eventually lost the
job to Adrian Amos, who was transitioned
from safety back to corner. Not exactly a
vote of con6dence.
So building con6dence became a priority.
Said Lucas, "My defensive coordinator,
Coach [Bob] Shoop, he always tells us as
defensive backs, you've gotta be long on
T
CORNER
TURNING
THE
Trevor Williams gives
PSU's secondary
a lift this fall
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