Big events, lavish entrances, and the great stage are all part of college football.
At the peak of the sport’s most-watched match of the first month, Ryan Williams received that greeting. In addition to securing the game-winning 75-yard touchdown against Georgia, the Alabama freshman receiver’s acrobatic feats made a statement.
It was a work of art.
That September night, Bryant-Denny Stadium was filled with almost 100,000 shocked spectators who were taken aback by a catch and all that transpired. Williams’ salute was broadcast just as the ABC-TV audience reached a peak of 14.1 million.
Just as Christopher Stuart in Birmingham was in awe of that television audience, so was Don Prosch down in Fairhope. It was more than simply footwork, quickness, or focus. Prosch and Stuart are in a unique position to evaluate what they observed in Williams, which is quite unusual.
Prosch, who is currently in his early 70s, participated in football before discovering his actual vocation. He worked as a professional dancer for many years, first traveling Europe with well-known ballet companies after learning under the famed Martha Graham in New York.
He was astounded by what he seen in Williams versus Georgia that evening.
Prosch said, “He just has such eloquence about him.” His footwork resembles dancing much more than football. Generally speaking, football players are power forwards with large quadriceps who mostly play forward and back. He has really poor footwork. Like a dancer like Fred Astaire, really. He has such delicate footwork. He is a really unusual athlete.
Really.
Alabama’s season was saved by the catch, which gave them a decisive victory against Georgia that keeps them in the running for the playoffs going into Saturday’s trip to No. 14 LSU. Another important stage for Williams to contend with in his first campaign is a night game at Tiger Stadium.
Kirby Smart, the coach of Georgia, stated that Williams’ remarkable toolbox extends beyond his technique.
“I call it quickness, twitch, and suddenness,” Smart remarked. “We call it early quickness all the time. His initial quickness is exceptional. That includes his feet, but they are not the only thing that sets him apart. It’s the mix.
“A lot of individuals don’t have terrific long speed, but they do have great ball skills and occasionally great agility. However, he is a truly unique athlete when you combine his track speed with his initial quickness and ball abilities.
Enough that he leads Alabama in touchdown catches (seven), yards (702), and receptions (35). He now ranks 11th with 20.1 yards per reception after leading the country in average yards per catch for a few weeks. With 702 receiving yards, he leads the FBS among rookies, just ahead of Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith, who has 678.
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