• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

DE/LB Nathan Williams (official thread)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Nate's wait: Nathan Williams passed the test to play in the season opener.

How much the senior defensive end might get to remains to be determined.

The status for Williams still remains a bit unclear after he checked out physically during practice on Monday, which Meyer indicated would be critical for his chances to return from microfracture knee surgery with an appearance on Saturday against Miami (Ohio).

"We?re going to meet again," Meyer said. "He did practice, limited basis, and we?ll try to get him in the game. I?ll know more -- [Monday] he passed the test to get in the game, but how much, it wasn?t enough to let you know how much he?s going to play."
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/blog/colleges/osu/post?id=2311
 
Upvote 0
Nathan Williams reminds me much of Mike D'Andrea. A kid that has great talent, size, and drive. If it just weren't for the nagging injuries he would be an impact player every Saturday.


TheOzone.net


Williams Could Boost D-Line in Opener


Simon is a two-time captain and an All-American candidate for the Buckeyes on the defensive line. He is considered to be one of the premier players in the Big Ten on either side of the ball, and the face of the program that Meyer inherited from Jim Tressel and Luke Fickell.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
SEREbuckeye;2201531; said:
Nathan Williams reminds me much of Mike D'Andrea. A kid that has great talent, size, and drive. If it just weren't for the nagging injuries he would be an impact player every Saturday.
Click to expand...

Williams had 18 tackles, 4 tfl and 2 sacks in 9 games as a freshman. As a sophomore he played in all 13 games with 1 start, recording 26 tackles, 3.5 sacks (3rd on the team), and 8 tackles for loss (also third on the team). As a junior he played in 12 games and started in 10, recording 46 tackles (7th on the team), 9.5 tackles for loss (third on the team), 4.5 sacks (first on the team), and 1 interception. Throughout his first three seasons he missed exactly one game due to injury before the season ending injury he suffered in the first game last year as a senior.

D'Andrea played in 13 games his freshman year (2002) and recorded 7 tackles. As a sophomore he had 24 tackles in 9 games before injury his shoulder. He injured his knee in 2004 after 4 games and 13 tackles which basically ended his career.

I don't feel like adding all of that up, but I don't think Williams and D'Andrea are at all comparable regardless of what happens this season.
 
Upvote 0
Buckeye86;2201537; said:
Williams had 18 tackles, 4 tfl and 2 sacks in 9 games as a freshman. As a sophomore he played in all 13 games with 1 start, recording 26 tackles, 3.5 sacks (3rd on the team), and 8 tackles for loss (also third on the team). As a junior he played in 12 games and started in 10, recording 46 tackles (7th on the team), 9.5 tackles for loss (third on the team), 4.5 sacks (first on the team), and 1 interception. Throughout his first three seasons he missed exactly one game due to injury before the season ending injury he suffered in the first game last year as a senior.

D'Andrea played in 13 games his freshman year (2002) and recorded 7 tackles. As a sophomore he had 24 tackles in 9 games before injury his shoulder. He injured his knee in 2004 after 4 games and 13 tackles which basically ended his career.

I don't feel like adding all of that up, but I don't think Williams and D'Andrea are at all comparable regardless of what happens this season.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.
 
Upvote 0
No offense to D'Andrea, but he was supposed to have Hawk's career and never seemed to get it even when healthy. When healthy Nate has been one of the best players on the field for the OSU D and has always been missed when he's out. Hopefully with the depth on the DL they can work Nate in slowly so he is hitting his peak for the B1G season. Give him 10 snaps in passing downs Saturday and see what happens.
 
Upvote 0
100276794_548c83c4eb.jpg
 
Upvote 0
Wednesday briefing: Williams expected to play
August, 29, 2012
By Austin Ward | ESPN.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A full year later, Nathan Williams is ready to return.

The Ohio State defensive lineman received his medical clearance to play earlier in the week as he attempts to come back from microfracture surgery. As he ran off the practice field on Wednesday evening, he looked ready for action.

How much action Williams might see still hasn't been exactly determined by the coaching staff. But Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer is planning on using the senior in some capacity on Saturday against Miami (Ohio), the first live action Williams will have seen since leaving the season opener last season with pain in his knee.

"He had his first good day (Tuesday)," Meyer said. "He practiced with our defense today and did live work yesterday. That?s going to be up to our defensive coaches, but we?re going to meet on that (Thursday) morning and I?d like to get him on the field.

"If he can?t go, he can?t go. They told us he can go, and we won?t wear him out, but I hope we get him on the field."

His return there would add even more depth and experience to a defensive line that appears to have plenty of it heading into the season.

Before his injury, Williams was a handful on the edge of the line and racked up 17.5 tackles for a loss during his sophomore and junior seasons combined. For now, that reputation and old films have largely formed Meyer's opinion of what kind of impact Williams can have -- but a closer look seems to be on the way.

"He has great hands, quick-twitch guy," Meyer said. "People told me he was one of our better players the last couple years on defense. I haven?t studied him that much, but he looked really good yesterday. He?s a good player, obviously."
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/blog/colleges/osu/post?id=2362
 
Upvote 0
Counting on Williams
Senior defensive end makes an impact in returning from knee surgery
Updated: September 2, 2012
By Austin Ward | BuckeyeNation

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nathan Williams wasn't keeping a running total in his head, so the exact number of plays had to wait.

But the senior defensive lineman knew a few things for sure about the snaps he did take in his return from microfracture knee surgery.

rn_u_nathanwilliams2_ms_300.jpg

Greg Bartram/US Presswire
Nathan Williams made two tackles in about 20 plays in his return from a serious knee injury.

Williams was on the field for more plays than anybody expected Saturday in Ohio State's season-opening 56-10 win over Miami (Ohio). He was thankful for every opportunity that came his way -- and whatever the official tally was, it felt like many more after a full year on the sideline.

"It felt like I played 50," Williams joked. "Hopefully I wake up and I'm able to walk."

The jokes came easily for Williams after he capped his return with two tackles in the rout, including a critical third-down stop with the Buckeyes struggling to get going offensively in the first quarter.

Williams had to drop into coverage and close on a running back near the sideline to help the defense get off the field, and in the process he flashed the athleticism and motor that made him such a handful up front before leaving the season opener a year ago with his injured knee.

There were some signs of rust, too -- most notably a sack that slipped out of his hands on a previous drive. But as the bugs get worked out, an already deep and talented group up front appears set to be more versatile and dangerous with Williams again in the mix.

"To me, I'll be curious to see how he feels [Sunday]," defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "He might have played a little more than we thought he would play, so let's see how he feels.

cont...
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/colleges/osu/foo...act-ohio-state-buckeyes-comeback-knee-surgery
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top