Williams' 'kids' force a switch
UT standout changes allegiances after son, friend become Buckeyes
BY DAVID BRIGGS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
COLUMBUS -- Brent Williams was raised by his mother with love and Michigan football. In his family, the young ones were expected to know the words to "The Victors" before they could recite the alphabet.
"Everyone knew the fight song since they were 2 years old," said Williams, who grew up in Flint, Mich.
Yet there was the former University of Toledo football star decked in scarlet at Ohio Stadium this month, blended in with the faithful for Ohio State's home opener. Williams, an All-Mid American Conference defensive tackle in 1985 who played 11 seasons in the NFL, had an unlikely connection to his former archenemy.
Two of his boys -- one his son and the other a godson he cares for as his own -- are freshmen for the 16th-ranked Buckeyes.
Linebacker Camren Williams (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) and safety Armani Reeves (5-10, 194) were best friends in suburban Boston who just happened to become the top recruits in Massachusetts -- two of the most heralded players in the country at their position.
They committed to Penn State last season, then backed off their pledge just before signing day in the wake of the turmoil there. The former Michigan fans were given the hard sell by Wolverines assistant Fred Jackson, the same coach who lured Brent Williams to Toledo three decades earlier, but ultimately chose -- gasp -- the Buckeyes.
"I think I'm able to go back to family reunions," Brent Williams said with a laugh. "I'm not sure. If anyone ever questioned if I was a father that was too involved or too much in control, then know that the only game my family is required to watch every year is the Michigan-Ohio State game."
Now, Williams added, "I'm the biggest Ohio State fan in the world."
If his boys are not expected to contribute much beyond special teams this season, they are considered bedrock pieces for Ohio State's future.
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