Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
As Howard Cosell used to say about the Giants' diminutive RB David Meggett, "Look at him go!"...such is the case with the Cardinals' 2nd year RB Kerwynn Williams.
Kerwynn Williams knows a little something about patience and hard work. At Utah St. he waited very patiently behind Robert Turban (Seahawks---4th round pick) and Michael Smith (Bucs---7th round pick). As he waited, Williams shined as a kickoff returner and in 2010 he ranked 6th in the FBS in all-puprose yards per game at 170.2.
As a senior Williams took over the starting RB position and turned in a stellar performance rushing for 1,512 yards, 697 receiving yards and 15 TDs.
At the 2013 NFL Combine, Williams was impressive---running one of the fastest RB times at 4.48, hoisting 17 reps at 225 and showcasing the foot quickness to post an eye-popping 4.12 in the 20 yard shuttle.
He was drafted by the Colts in the 7th Round, pick #230.
In the 2013 pre-season, Williams rushed for 169 yards and made the Colts' initial 53 man roster. However, he would up being waived in early September and re-signed to the Colts' practice squad. A month later he was signed to the Chargers' practice squad.
In 2014, Williams scored a TD in the Chargers' first pre-season game versus the Cowboys, but did not get any carries the remaining three pre-season games and was waived. He then was signed to the Cardinals' practice squad and was promoted to the 53 man roster in early November.
For the Cardinals, Williams rushed 53 carries for 246 yards and a 4.6 average. His 175 yards in consecutive nailbiter wins over the Chiefs (100 yds.) and Rams (75 yards) were instrumental in helping the Cardinals secure two key late season wins, both of which were needed for the Cardinals to qualify for the playoffs.
Until Williams made his late season impact, the Cardinals' rushing attack, minus Andre Ellington, was virtually non-existant. Thus, Williams burst onto the scene at the precise time when a revamped running game was needed most.
Curiously, Williams was only given two carries versus the Seahawks in the disappointing 35-6 loss at home, a decision that Bruce Arians appeared to regret after the game.
In Week 17 verus the 49ers, Williams was back at it, gaining 67 yards on 17 carries.
At Carolina in the playoffs, the Panthers' prolific front seven dominated the game and held Williams to 23 yards on 10 carries...and his 23 yards was actually close to 1/3 of the entire Cardinals' offensive production that afternoon, as the Cardinals set a playoff record in offensive futility.
What the Cardinals learned is that Williams (5-8, 198) runs hard between the tackles, and while he is short in height, he has strong legs and an impressive center of gravity. He shows patience in letting a hole develop, but unlike some smaller shiftier RBs, he doesn't do a lot of dancing in the hole. He hits it, tends to make one hard plant to make a tackler miss and break upfield to generate a solid burst. When you watch him run, just look at his feet. His quick feet are very Andre Ellington-esque.
His scouting report prior to the 2013 Draft indicated that Williams tended to go down too easily on first contact. That was not the case with the Cardinals in 2014. Williams absorbed contact, maintained his feet and scraped for every inch he could get.
When Bruce Arians is asked about his RB personnel and what his plans are to run between the tackles, he smiles and immediately mentions Kerwynn Williams. What Arians says each time he talks about Williams is in essence what he said to the media following Williams' breakout 100 yard game versus the Chiefs: "I knew Kerwynn was going to play well...he has been the only guy on the practice field the past three weeks that made our players go 'wow.'"
The week before the KC game, when Williams was playing Jamaal Charles on the scout team so well, Arians went over to the defensive coaches and claimed him for his offense. "I always knew he was explosive," said safety Tony Jefferson. "He'd been making our defense look like fools in practice," Sam Acho added. After the Chiefs game, Patrick Peterson said, "This was the perfect time in the season to reveal him."
Arians' summation of Williams: "Quickness, explosiveness, an unbelievable change of direction...he can break a guy down in the hole and make him miss and he's got power for a smaller guy."
Kerwynn Williams knows a little something about patience and hard work. At Utah St. he waited very patiently behind Robert Turban (Seahawks---4th round pick) and Michael Smith (Bucs---7th round pick). As he waited, Williams shined as a kickoff returner and in 2010 he ranked 6th in the FBS in all-puprose yards per game at 170.2.
As a senior Williams took over the starting RB position and turned in a stellar performance rushing for 1,512 yards, 697 receiving yards and 15 TDs.
At the 2013 NFL Combine, Williams was impressive---running one of the fastest RB times at 4.48, hoisting 17 reps at 225 and showcasing the foot quickness to post an eye-popping 4.12 in the 20 yard shuttle.
He was drafted by the Colts in the 7th Round, pick #230.
In the 2013 pre-season, Williams rushed for 169 yards and made the Colts' initial 53 man roster. However, he would up being waived in early September and re-signed to the Colts' practice squad. A month later he was signed to the Chargers' practice squad.
In 2014, Williams scored a TD in the Chargers' first pre-season game versus the Cowboys, but did not get any carries the remaining three pre-season games and was waived. He then was signed to the Cardinals' practice squad and was promoted to the 53 man roster in early November.
For the Cardinals, Williams rushed 53 carries for 246 yards and a 4.6 average. His 175 yards in consecutive nailbiter wins over the Chiefs (100 yds.) and Rams (75 yards) were instrumental in helping the Cardinals secure two key late season wins, both of which were needed for the Cardinals to qualify for the playoffs.
Until Williams made his late season impact, the Cardinals' rushing attack, minus Andre Ellington, was virtually non-existant. Thus, Williams burst onto the scene at the precise time when a revamped running game was needed most.
Curiously, Williams was only given two carries versus the Seahawks in the disappointing 35-6 loss at home, a decision that Bruce Arians appeared to regret after the game.
In Week 17 verus the 49ers, Williams was back at it, gaining 67 yards on 17 carries.
At Carolina in the playoffs, the Panthers' prolific front seven dominated the game and held Williams to 23 yards on 10 carries...and his 23 yards was actually close to 1/3 of the entire Cardinals' offensive production that afternoon, as the Cardinals set a playoff record in offensive futility.
What the Cardinals learned is that Williams (5-8, 198) runs hard between the tackles, and while he is short in height, he has strong legs and an impressive center of gravity. He shows patience in letting a hole develop, but unlike some smaller shiftier RBs, he doesn't do a lot of dancing in the hole. He hits it, tends to make one hard plant to make a tackler miss and break upfield to generate a solid burst. When you watch him run, just look at his feet. His quick feet are very Andre Ellington-esque.
His scouting report prior to the 2013 Draft indicated that Williams tended to go down too easily on first contact. That was not the case with the Cardinals in 2014. Williams absorbed contact, maintained his feet and scraped for every inch he could get.
When Bruce Arians is asked about his RB personnel and what his plans are to run between the tackles, he smiles and immediately mentions Kerwynn Williams. What Arians says each time he talks about Williams is in essence what he said to the media following Williams' breakout 100 yard game versus the Chiefs: "I knew Kerwynn was going to play well...he has been the only guy on the practice field the past three weeks that made our players go 'wow.'"
The week before the KC game, when Williams was playing Jamaal Charles on the scout team so well, Arians went over to the defensive coaches and claimed him for his offense. "I always knew he was explosive," said safety Tony Jefferson. "He'd been making our defense look like fools in practice," Sam Acho added. After the Chiefs game, Patrick Peterson said, "This was the perfect time in the season to reveal him."
Arians' summation of Williams: "Quickness, explosiveness, an unbelievable change of direction...he can break a guy down in the hole and make him miss and he's got power for a smaller guy."
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