Jeffrey Williams Named Third Team All-America By The Associated Press
December 22, 2008 | Football
NEW YORK – Sophomore linebacker Jeffrey Williams was named
to the Associated Press' Division I FCS All-America third team,
capping a brilliant second season at Gardner-Webb.
Williams (6-0, 221) was named Big South Conference Defensive Player
of the Year after pacing the league in tackles (119), tackles per
game (10.8) and solo tackles per game (5.6).
The Frisco City, Ala., native averaged 13.2 tackles per game
against league foes in 2008, and finished the regular season ranked
11th-nationally in overall tackles per game and solo tackles per
game.
Williams' prowess and hard-hitting helped Gardner-Webb rank among
the nation's best against the run for much of the season, which saw
GWU hold seven of its 11 opponents to less than 100 yards on the
ground – including the first six of the 2008 season, a new
league record. Gardner-Webb allowed just 118 yards per game on the
ground this past season, which rates as the second-best effort in
league history.
Williams also keyed a defensive effort that limited ACC Player of
the Year Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech) to a mere 27 yards on 16
carries and held the ACC's top rushing attack to a season-low 79
yards overall.
Williams finished the season with 9.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks,
three interceptions, five pass break ups and two forced fumbles. He
has registered 239 total tackles in 22 career starts during his
brief Gardner-Webb career, averaging an impressive 10.9 stops per
game. The FCS All-America candidate has made at least 10 stops 14
times in his college career so far.
He is the ninth linebacker in Gardner-Webb history to earn
All-America honors, but just the second to earn Associated Press
All-America honors at the Division I level – joining Tory
Atkins (2001) on that exclusive list.
