http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-.../s_208783.html
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Monessen star bigger and better
By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
His reputation as one of the WPIAL's most powerful players wasn't the only thing that expanded in the offseason for Monessen star Ernest "Mick" Williams.
The senior fullback/linebacker gained 20 pounds, prompting some to believe that, at 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, he was growing into a down lineman.
The Greyhounds are counting on former Monessen standout Jamie Reader, who played fullback at Akron and for the Philadelphia Eagles, to be a positive influence on Williams.
"He's taught me a lot of things, and there's more to come," Williams said of Reader. "He's someone to look up to. He's all ready been there, made it to every place I want to be. He didn't have to teach me. Just his presence helps."
Reader, an assistant coach for the Greyhounds, has become a workout partner and mentor for Williams. A handful of Division I schools have made scholarship offers to Williams, and Reader is helping him prepare for the jump.
"From a conditioning respect, Jamie is teaching him that, when you make the next step, there's a hundred guys like you," Monessen first-year coach Andy Pacak said. "And to get to the NFL, it's even more competitive."
Williams has been dominant on both sides of the ball since his sophomore season and figures to elevate Monessen to the elite of Class A this fall.
He combines incredible lower-body strength with surprising speed for someone his size. Williams can bench-press 340 pounds and squat 690.
"Mick's a flat-out monster," Pacak said. "Mick is an unstoppable force. If he puts his mind to it, I think Mick can do a lot of damage offensively and defensively. He's a ferocious hitter. If we keep people off him, he's going to be a force."
Williams recorded 85 tackles with three interceptions last season at inside linebacker. He doesn't know the particulars of the rest of his defensive statistics, but a brief glimpse of his game film gives you an idea what he is capable of.
"On my highlight tape, I had five sacks and three forced fumbles," Williams said. "But that's just the highlights."
The Williams file
School: Monessen
Class: Senior
Positions: Fullback/linebacker
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 255 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.7 seconds
College: Is projected to play either position in college or develop into a defensive lineman. Has scholarship offers from Akron, Indiana, Iowa, Pitt and West Virginia.
Joe Butler's Metro Index scouting report: "A powerful, powerful young man. A multi-position player who can play fullback or inside linebacker. Strong lower body. Excellent leverage. Can run hard. Nice height, weight, speed. He's a real find for somebody."
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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04233/364525.stm
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A player to watch: Monessen's Williams creating a name for himself
Friday, August 20, 2004
By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Like many teenagers, Ernest "Mick" Williams spends a great deal of time playing video games. When he plays football games, he goes to the "create a player" section and creates himself. He makes his video version big, strong and dominating.
So there you have it. Video games can imitate life.
On the "real" football field at Monessen High School, Williams is every bit of big, strong and dominating. That's why he is expected to have a big senior season and why he has a handful of Division I scholarship offers.
"There are times when he does things you can't teach," Monessen coach Andy Pacak said. "His natural strength and his natural nose for the ball is impressive, and he's a very aggressive kid. Then when you flip it around offensively, he is a very good running back."
Williams is a 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker and running back who became a varsity starter near the end of his freshman season. He scored two touchdowns in his first varsity start. On offense, Williams will play fullback and team with halfback Quinton Martin to make one of the most formidable running combinations in Class A.
Last season, Martin rushed for 923 yards on 105 carries (8.8 average) and Williams 866 on 101 attempts (8.6 average).
But Williams is being recruited by colleges to play linebacker. He has offers from Pitt, West Virginia, (his sister, Latitia, played basketball at West Virginia), Iowa, Indiana and Akron.
"I've always been a linebacker," Williams said. "Except when I was little and they tried to put my hand in the dirt and make me a lineman. I didn't like that."
Williams wants to be known as a linebacker. What he doesn't want to be known as is "Ernest."
"It's just a funny name," he said.
He got the nickname "Mick" as a youngster because his father, Ernest, was known as "Mickey."
"People said he had big ears," the younger Williams said.
Like Mickey Mouse?
"Yeah. But I don't have big ears," he said. "Mine are nice."
As a football player, Williams has done a lot of nice things for Monessen. One thing he wants to do is prove he has his old quickness. He ballooned to 250 pounds in the spring. He attended Pitt's camp and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds. He ran it again and dropped it to 4.7.
"I almost cried when I ran it the first time," Williams said. "When I was smaller, the worst I had run it was 4.55 or 4.6. When I ran that 4.9, [Pitt coach] Walt Harris was there watching. But then I did better the second time."
Williams said he has gotten into better shape with the help of Monessen assistant coach Jamie Reader, a former Greyhounds running back who had a brief stint a few years ago with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pacak would like Williams to keep his weight between 235 and 240 pounds.
"We're really pushing these kids in practices," Pacak said. "We run them every morning with different distances and sprints. And we do it before we start practicing."
Williams said, "We're running so much, I should gain 1,000 yards this season."
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