Amid the probation and losing season, there is a bright spot in Alabama’s 2003 football season – running back Shaud Williams.
Williams is not only leading the Southeastern Conference with 1,140 rushing yards, he is on pace to break the Alabama single-season rushing record (1,471) set by Bobby Humphrey in 1986.
“We know coming in he has a lot of yards and he’s running well for them,” said LSU defensive end Marcus Spears.
And Spears may remember that Williams posted 131 yards on just 16 carries in last year’s 31-0 loss to Alabama.
LSU coach Nick Saban does.
“[Alabama has] the best runner in the league,” Saban said of Williams. “He has great quickness and acceleration. He gave us problems last year.”
Williams leads Alabama (4-6, 2-4 SEC) in rushing, punt return yardage and is second on the team with 18 receptions. But when asked if he is the leader, the humble senior deflects the attention to the Crimson Tide’s sophomore quarterback Brodie Croyle.
“If anyone is a leader, it’s Brodie,” Williams said. “He calls the plays. Everything starts with him.”
Williams’ ability to run with the ball, return punts and catch the ball out of the backfield has LSU players remembering an old teammate.
“He reminds me a lot of [former LSU running back] Domanick Davis,” Spears said. “He has a low center of gravity. He’s fast. He hits holes. He’s a short guy that you have to find in the pile, and really wrap up on him and take him down to the ground.”
But once again, the 5-foot-8, 191-pound back deflected the compliment.
“Domanick Davis is much better than I am,” Williams said. “He’s a unique back.”
Alabama coach Mike Shula said Williams’ durability is surprising because of his small frame.
“I’ve been around some smaller type backs, but not one that’s carried the ball as much as he has and continued to be successful,” Shula said.
Williams is averaging about 23 carries per game for a 4.9 yard per carry average this season, and he leads the SEC with 14 touchdowns (12 rushing, one receiving and one on a punt return).
“A lot of it has to do with his ability, but there’s almost just as much because of his instincts,” Shula said. “He understands the running game. He understands running with the football. And he always seems to be one step ahead of the guy who’s trying to tackle him.”
Despite sharing the backfield with Santonio Beard last season and only starting four games, Williams led the Crimson Tide in rushing with 921 yards on 7.1 yards per carry. It was only his first year on the field with an Alabama jersey after serving running back duties at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas during his first two years at the collegiate level.
He transfered to Alabama following the 2000 season and redshirted his mandatory sit-out year in 2001.
Throughout his career, Williams has accumulated 4,598 all-purpose yards (3,008 in two years at Alabama). He said his vision has allowed him to be so successful no matter where he plays.
“My vision is my strength,” he said. “It’s my ability to see things before they happen.”
Although Williams entered this season on the Doak Campbell Award Watch List (the award given to the nation’s best running back), he said he did not expect to have this type of production because of Alabama’s offseason problems.
After last year’s coach Dennis Franchione left for his “dream job” at Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide hired Mike Price, who embarrassed the University with his antics involving a hotel room and a stripper.
Shula then was lured from the Miami Dolphins to come back to his alma mater to coach with only four months to prepare for the upcoming season. And Williams did not have high hopes for his senior season rushing stats.
“At the beginning of the season we were just hoping to go out and run plays without it looking like a circus,” Williams said.
With three quarters of the season behind them, Alabama looks nothing like a circus as they rank third in the SEC with 174 rushing yards per game.
That offense will go up against the LSU defense, which is the nation’s second best team at stopping the run.
“They’re great, that’s all you can say,” Williams said of LSU’s defense. “They’re big, fast and fly to the ball. It’s hard to get a pad on them at the line of scrimmage. Their front seven is so athletic.”
And although the Alabama football program has been plagued with off-the-field problems the past three years, Williams said it holds majesty as one of the premier programs in college football.
“It’s a special place,” he said. “I can’t explain it. To be at ‘Bama with the pride and prestige of this program, it makes it all the more special.”