OSU Buckeye Marcus Williams
From The Lawrence Herald/ The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, Wva.) 12-13-07
Marcus Williams is a warrior. His mindset as a headhunter on the Ohio State Buckeyes special teams requires a total lack of empathy for those he is about to conquer. His mission on punts and kickoffs is to search and destroy.
Take a closer look at Williams' life, however, and you will see a contradictory side to his character---a side that bleeds for those in need.
Williams is a sophomore with an academic scholarship to The Ohio State University who walked-on to the Buckeyes team in the early months of 2006. Thinking his stellar career as an Ironton Fighting Tigers tailback and defensive back was the end of his playing days, Williams left high school with a focus on securing a future profession outside of sports. But he knew he could still play.
"Every winter, following the bowl game, they have a try-out for anyone who attends OSU and wants to play football," Williams said of the grueling walk-on process where he was one of only seven hopefuls chosen for the team. "Personally, I knew I could play at this level. Once I was given the opportunity, I knew the chips would fall into place."
The chips first started falling with his impressive play in the 2006 OSU Spring Game and when he later joined the Buckeyes' scout team, where he was named the "Scout Team Player of the Week" on several occasions. By October of last season, the freshman walk-on earned a starting position on OSU's kickoff and punt teams, a remarkable feat for a first-year player.
In 2007, Williams, # 24, filled in gamely at tailback during a four game stretch following an injury to fellow running back Brandon Saine while also performing his special teams duties. Along the way, he also picked up his first varsity letter and earned academic All-Big Ten honors. Perhaps his proudest moment, however, occurred during the rivalry game Nov. 17th at Michigan. A block he put on a Wolverine defender during the game's opening kickoff earned him the team's "hit of the week" award.
"I basically just peeled around and blew that guy up," Williams said of the hit. "I like to think of that hit as the tone-setter for the game, because there were a lot more hits throughout that game!"
Speaking candidly about his role on the Buckeyes' special teams, Williams didn't mince words. "I love it! There's nothing better than knocking the mess out of someone and letting them know they can expect more of the same the next time we meet. Some guys come back for round two, others don't," he laughed.
Now, Williams is preparing for his second consecutive trip to the BCS national championship game. When asked to describe life as a Buckeye, he was nearly at a loss for words. "It really hasn't sunk in yet," he said.
But when asked about what motivates him, the words flowed freely. "I live my life by a motto that a person close to my heart used to say: Don't Ever Give Up. That holds true for everything I do."
That special person was a childhood friend named Shane Jones, who succumbed to leukemia in 2002 after a lifelong battle with the disease. He was 13 years old, Williams was 15. "When Shane passed away I really started to feel this strange connection to him," Williams said. "See, Shane and I both wore the number 45. After he died, every time I stepped on the field at Tanks Memorial Stadium I felt like he was there with me. I decided that if I was going to continue wearing that jersey number and all it represented, I had to start living by the exact same phrase he did: Don't Ever Give Up."
Jones and his number 45 jersey became a fixture in Ironton in 2002 as he battled the return of the leukemia that dogged him his whole life. It represented the fierce competitive fire that burned inside his cancer infested body. His determination to continue playing sports despite his debilitating disease earned him the respect of peers like Williams.
"This is really the first time I've ever spoken about this because I know some people may think it is silly; but I know Shane Jones is my guardian angel," Williams said, obviously struggling with his emotions. "I can feel his presence everywhere: when I step into the classroom, when I get in my car, before I go to bed, when I wake up and most definitely when I step onto the football field. He was the toughest person I've ever met and I'm glad to know he's watching over me."
The spiritual connection between Williams and Jones grew stronger at the end of Williams' senior year at IHS in 2005. "Shane's mom, Patty, approached me during school one day and gave me an envelope. Inside was a letter she had written to me, a picture of Shane and a necklace that he had worn to give him the strength to battle his cancer. That's when I knew the connection I had felt with Shane was real and that he was there watching over me."
Patty and her husband, Shawn, were drawn to Williams not because he shared their son's favorite number, but because of his character. "He thought so much of Shane and I knew that," Patty said of Williams. "He reminded me of Shane. Ask anybody about Marcus Williams and you'll hear nothing but good comments. He's top-notch."
The necklace Patty gave to Williams was Shane's protector during his final stay at Children's Hospital in Columbus. "It was a St. Christopher medal that had been dipped in Holy Water and given to him by a priest," Patty recalled. "He kept it pinned to his pillow in the hospital."
Williams now uses that very same necklace as an academic and athletic guide in his life. "Even though when I first came to school here I had no intentions of playing football, I still looked to Shane for guidance," Williams said. "Before every test I would pull out a little orange Bible that I had taped the picture of Shane in and say a little prayer. Then, I would put on the necklace Patty gave me and go dominate the exam. When the day came for me to try out for the football team, I grabbed that very same Bible, said that very same prayer and wore that very same necklace---and here I am. Every day I step into the Woody, no matter what the circumstances, I bring the 'Don't Ever Give Up' attitude because I know that's what Shane would do if he was given this opportunity."
Patty, a teacher's aide at IHS, continued heaping praise on the current Ohio State Buckeye. "Marcus was always good to the kids in our multi-handicapped classes," she said. "He never made fun of them like some kids do. He took an interest in them. One Autistic boy idolized Marcus. He would sit with Marcus at lunch and that always made his day. I can't say enough good things about Marcus Williams."
A question posed to Patty asked how she felt about the spotlight turning back to her son once again, five years after he left this world, by a member of the Ohio State football team. "It makes me proud all over again," she said. "It reinforces the legacy Shane left behind."
On the evening of January 7, 2008, Ohio State takes on LSU for the national championship of college football. Somewhere in the depths of that stadium in New Orleans, #24 on the Buckeyes will pull out an little orange Bible, say a prayer, and slip on a very special necklace and a "Don't Ever Give Up" attitude. Then, with his guardian angel in tow, he'll set out to knock the mess out of someone.
