Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/305196
26 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 5 f f o o t b a l l f e a t u r e : F r a n k i e W i l l i a m s BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com F rankie Williams had no doubts. He was good enough to play for Purdue the moment he arrived on campus. He should have been on the field right away, he thought, reluctantly but begrudgingly conceding starting spots to more-experienced Ricardo Al- len and Josh Johnson, but on the field nonetheless. The coaches thought differently. Williams' best performances in 2011 were instead were reserved to practice, his highlight-reel PBUs and surely take-it-to-the-house picks seen only by only a handful of teammates or coaches. He was bitter. And, ultimately, that was exactly what was needed to prompt change. The brash, arrogant teenager who knew only one way and carried the kind of a swagger bred in Tampa that rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way needed to grow up. And the year of redshirting was the one that evolved Williams more than any other. Two years later, just having wrapped his third spring practice session, Wil- liams is a new person. He's a man, someone who oozes maturity, with a developing work eth- ic, with not only designs on being a leader but someone taking steps to actually be one. He's respected now, by younger and older teammates. "Frank has matured in a lot of ways," said senior safety Taylor Rich- ards, who has been Williams' room- mate throughout college. "After hav- ing to redshirt, he kind of took upon himself that there's a lot more than just what he only knew. He definitely took a big step in his mindset. Actually understanding that there's more than just himself or where he's been. "That redshirt year definitely helped him out because I know in practice, he was the most scrappy person ever that freshman year. Even more scrap- py than Ricardo. So that definitely was that moment where the light dawned on him." Since that realization, the change has been surprisingly swift. Williams made some plays in his first season on the field with nine pass breakups, two interceptions and 45 tackles in five starts in 2012. But he knew after the season that the way he did it — taking risks and, ultimately, making too many mistakes — wasn't worth it. If he wanted to evolve into a leader, he had to do work but do it the right way. He didn't want his younger teammates to see him as "uppity" and think it was OK to take the same ap- proach. There needed to be more posi- tives than negatives, he said. That was more the case last season, when he moved into a full-time starter role opposite Allen, and had a steady year with 61 tackles, two interceptions and three breakups. And there was probably a good reason for that. In 2013, finally, Williams added a key preparation element to his game: Watching film. Williams had always been against it, never saw the point — offenses al- ways changed, he thought, and would make what he saw irrelevant. He felt like all he had to do was play, let his natural abilities show, and that'd be enough. Tom Campbell Frankie Williams used a difficult redshirt season to fuel a new attitude and ap- proach, and it's resulted in a leadership role and top cornerback spot as a junior. More Than Swagger Williams matures, earns top CB spot