I know all about being 5'-7", 178lbs. I remember the second grade like it was yesterday! :)
Slef E. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Mc." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "RollTideFan - University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List" <RTF@rolltidefan.net> Sent: Sunday, December 26, 2004 8:40 AM Subject: Re: [RollTideFan] Q&A: Shaud Williams Beings that I'm 5-foot-7, 178-pounds, Shaud is one of my heroes! :) Thanks for the read, Kurt. Roll Tide! RMc. kurtrasmussen wrote: > http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041226/SPORTS03/412260324/1007/SPORTS&template=printart > > Q&A: Shaud Williams > > Rookie running back Shaud Williams, who could make his > first start today, is the subject of this week's Bills > Q&A. > > Sal Maiorana > Staff writer > > ORCHARD PARK — Shaud Williams' career at the > University of Alabama was prolific enough to warrant > an invitation to the Indianapolis scouting combine > last winter.However, his draft stock plummeted when, > due to a sore hamstring, he ran a sub-par time in the > 40-yard dash. Williams sat around for two days waiting > for his name to be called and it never was."I didn't > run well at the combine, I had a sore hamstring, but I > didn't want to be that guy to stand up and say I > wasn't going to run," the 5-foot-7, 193-pound Williams > said. "I felt like that would have shown the scouts > that I'd back down, so I went out there and still ran > with a hurt hamstring."I didn't run well and it > probably hurt me, but I think, if anything, I showed > I'm able to run through anything and I'm not going to > back down from anything." The Bills signed Williams as > a free agent, and proving that his combine was a > fluke, Williams made the Buffalo roster with a solid > training camp, and today, he may be the Bills' > starting running back in place of injured Willis > McGahee. Williams is the subject of this week's Q & > A:Growing up in Texas, you were a baseball star as > well as a football star, and the Atlanta Braves > offered you $150,000 to play in their minor league > system. Why did you decline and play college football > instead?"I didn't want to go that far away. I was 18 > at the time. I turned it down because I told them I > wanted to go to college and play football. It was a > pretty nice bonus and after I told them I wasn't going > to sign they asked me what would it take for me to > sign, but I still turned it down because I wanted to > play college football. I have no regrets > whatsoever."Was baseball your first love as a kid? > > "My dad played minor league baseball and it was just > something I was always around. How I got to playing > football, I really don't know. I was always at the > baseball field with my dad throwing the ball > around."During your college football career you played > for five different head coaches. Is that some kind of > record? > > "Yeah, I think it is. My first year at Texas Tech I > was with Spike Dykes, then he retired and they brought > in Mike Leach and he had the pass-happy offense. Then > I transferred to Alabama and I had coach (Dennis) > Franchione, and then he left and Mike Price was there > for a couple months, then coach (Mike) Shula came in. > It was tough, but I was fortunate enough that I had > some good coaches and teammates around me and that > helped to make the transition to each one a little > smoother."What was your most exciting college game? > > "My senior year we had the opportunity to play > Oklahoma. It was a great atmosphere, it was a night > game on ESPN, they were No. 1 at the time, and it was > at home at Bryant-Denney and there were about 90,000 > people there. It was just awesome. It was just the way > you draw up a game to be and it was one of those games > you look forward to and try to take advantage."Who has > had the greatest influence on your football career? > > "Probably my parents. They've been there for me > through thick and thin. They're the ones that always > told me I could do it, even when people told me I was > too little or wasn't big enough." Even though you were > playing both sports in high school, was it during > those years when you started thinking about football > as your eventual career?"Yeah, I think I was in high > school when I decided that I wanted to give football a > shot. That's when I fell in love with Barry Sanders > and Emmitt Smith and those guys. And with those guys > being smaller backs it gave me hope and let me dream a > little bigger." When you speak to children at > community functions, do you make sure to tell them > that size doesn't matter? > > "Definitely. My whole thing when I talk to kids is > that no matter what you want to be, don't let anybody > tell you that you can't be what you want to be. Don't > let anyone steal your dreams. That's one of the things > my parents always instilled in me. If you want to > dream to be this or that, then go for it and don't let > anybody tell you can't do it."What is your most prized > material possession? > > "We won the state championship in baseball my senior > year in high school and I still have the gold medal > they give you. That's still sitting in my room back > home. It's that or, in my freshman year I was the Big > 12 Freshman of the Year and they gave me a nice plaque > for that, so it's one of those two things."What was > the dumbest money you ever spent? > > "When I was little I saved up enough money to get one > of those little scooters. I begged my parents, this is > what I want, this is what I want. So I took out the > trash, mowed lawns, saved up all my money, got the > scooter and I hardly even used it. That has to be the > worst purchase I ever made."What was your welcome to > the NFL moment? > > "I'd have to say it was training camp. I was walking > off the field and somebody yelled over to me 'Hey > rookie, grab my pads.' I think it was Willis > (McGahee), I think." If you could spend a day in > history with anybody, who would it be and why? > > "Martin Luther King. Just because everything that he > did, everything he stood for, I would love to sit down > and talk with him and let him fill me full of > knowledge and teach me some of the things he knows. I > would love to have a conversation with him." Having > lived in the south in Texas and Alabama, what has life > been like for you up here? > > "Cold. Cold. It's been very cold. A couple weeks ago > when it snowed for the first time, I didn't know what > to do. I looked outside and everybody was going about > their business and I'm like what am I supposed to do. > Do I call in and tell them I can't make it, do I > drive, I almost thought I was going to have to call my > parents on that one, but I thought through it and came > on in."[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Copyright 2004 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. > Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms > of Service (updated 12/18/2002). > > _______________________________________________ > RTF mailing list > RTF@rolltidefan.net > http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net > _______________________________________________ RTF mailing list RTF@rolltidefan.net http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net _______________________________________________ RTF mailing list RTF@rolltidefan.net http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net
