Nick Williams - UConn kick returner

[Jimmy Chitwood]

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLBNv0Em07o[/tube]

sophomore kick returner/wide receiver Nick Williams would lead the nation as a kick returner if he had enough attempts to qualify. going into UConn's bowl game, he had 2 kickoff returns for touchdowns on just 11 attempts. wow! and his average of over 42 yards-per is incredible.

"somehow," though, he isn't talented enough to get on the field as a wide receiver ... "weird" how that always seems to happen for the pale-skinned playmakers, isn't it?

below is another video. you can see Williams' other touchdown return at about the 2:37 mark.

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNxKjuV9NB8[/tube]

 

[icsept]

I thought this was going to be a post about the White athlete that ran kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown against Oklahoma in the bowl game. Then I looked it up and it was a back-up running back, Robbie Frey. He showed some serious track speed as he ran away from OU's affletes on that return. I guess UConn has some White burners buried on its bench.

 

[Riddlewire]

I thought this was going to be a post about the White athlete that ran kickoff back 95 yards for a touchdown against Oklahoma in the bowl game. Then I looked it up and it was a back-up running back, Robbie Frey. He showed some serious track speed as he ran away from OU's affletes on that return. I guess UConn has some White burners buried on its bench.

JC and I were posting in the Bowl thread during that game. After Williams tore off a long return, we simultaneously posted about him. JC then repeated his post in this forum. That was before Frey's return. We discussed Frey in there, too, though. Just look at the bowl thread.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

the career of Nick Williams leaves me perplexed ...

one of the most explosive returners in the country, Williams has returned 2 punts for touchdowns this year. additionally, in the VERY brief glimpses i've had of UConn football this season (maybe parts of two games?) i've seen Williams return two more kicks for touchdowns, only to have them called back due to penalties. this happened yet again in UConn's most recent game. how many times has this happened over the past few years?

what leaves me scratching my head, though, is why he has been so under-utilized during his collegiate career. numerous articles have pointed out his game-breaking ability and how the coaches insist they need to get the ball in his hands more often in order for the Huskies to be successful ... (below are just a couple)

http://articles.courant.com/2012-09...nsive-coordinator-uconn-football-fans-kickoff

http://www.thehour.com/blogs/an_hou...cle_feb08f84-2cdb-11e2-9568-0019bb30f31a.html

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092712aae.html

... yet, despite the same assertions year after year, nothing has changed. Williams makes plays every time he gets the opportunity. so why have there been so few opportunities? at 5-10, 185-pounds, and possessing incredibly open field running ability, Williams would seem to be an ideal fit for running back (where he'd have the ball in his hands a lot more frequently). but he's "just a slot receiver/returner," right?

still, the NFL may give him a chance. after all, he's the all-time leader in return yardage in UConn history.