Don't forget Darien
Published: 7/5/2007 1:25 PM
Last Modified: 7/5/2007 1:25 PM
A breakdown of Oklahoma's secondary typically begins and ends with cornerback/safety Reggie Smith. If that doesn't (pardon the pun) cover it, the discussion moves to corners Marcus Walker and Lendy Holmes, then to safety Nic Harris.
The guy often left out of the buzz is actually an All-Big 12 Conference starter -- free safety Darien Williams.
Here's a player who has started 18 games over the last two years. He racked up double-digit tackles at Texas Tech and UCLA as a sophomore in 2005. He picked off a pass against Iowa State, recovered a fumble at Oregon and forced fumbles against UAB and Missouri in '06.
Williams is one of the softest-spoken Sooners, a dude who wears the same uniform number (41) he did in little league when his mom picked it out for him. When the spotlight hits his defense, he'd just as soon tiptoe around it.
Well, sometimes there's no getting around it.
Columbia (Mo.) Tribune sportswriter Dave Matter recently ranked Williams as the fifth-best NFL draft prospect in the Big 12, ahead of heavier-hyped defensive backs like Smith, Nebraska's Zack Bowman and Kansas All-America candidate Aqib Talib.
Whether this translates into Williams' pot of gold next April is, of course, highly debatable. More to the point is a player who's earned some attention the last two years finally got some.
Now he can sneak back into the shadows and continue to excel at his job.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
