Ticats.ca
Justin Dunk
“And where is Hamilton exactly?” Chris Williams wondered, when the Tiger-Cats contacted him to bring him into the fold near the end of the 2010 CFL campaign.
His play during the first three games of his CFL career has more resembled an individual very comfortable with his surroundings, even though Williams is still getting used to life in his new city and new league.
The diminutive receiver spent the final two weeks of last season on the Ticats practice roster. Marcel Bellefeuille and his staff liked enough of what they saw out of the 5’9″ receiver to bring him back in 2011.
“We thought he did a lot of really positive things at the end of the year on the practice roster. We knew that he just needed some time to learn and develop,” Bellefeuille said.
It certainly didn’t take much time for Williams to pick up the CFL game, evidenced by his eight-reception/189-yard/one touchdown performance against the Lions last Friday.
“He’s evolving as a player, he did a great job last week,” Bellefeuille said. “He’s been getting better every week; he caught the ball consistently the second week that he played and [against B.C.], he did something after the catch, which he’s more than capable of doing.”
Production is what Williams provides for his team, any team he has seen game action with that is.
During his senior year at Rio Rancho high school in New Mexico, Williams ran for almost 2,100 yards and 33 scores, which earned him first team All-State honours. After staying at home to attend university at New Mexico State, Williams became a standout pass catcher, hauling in 246 passes for 3,555 yards and 32 touchdowns over his four-year collegiate career.
Williams spent some time with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns in 2009, and was with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials briefly in 2010 before making his way north to the CFL, where his steady production continues.
Number 80 with the Ticats has three touchdowns in three career games on the longer, wider field, to go along with 250 yards receiving. That yardage total has Williams sitting in eighth place among all CFL pass catchers after four weeks, and he also leads the Black and Gold in that category as well.
“The guy has put up numbers everywhere he’s played. He still holds records in the NCAA,” quarterback Kevin Glenn said of his new weapon.
The Ticats pivot knew Williams was going to be a good player from the first time he saw him and that seems to be true, even though the sample size is small. Glenn believes the rookie CFL pass catcher has caught on quickly because of his willingness to learn and his innate knowledge of football.
“He wants to learn, he wants to get better and every week that’s what he does,” he said. “He just doesn’t have the physical talent, but he actually has football awareness.”
Williams’ skill set goes beyond the white lines. Despite not being gifted in the height department, he has the ability to ‘wow’ on the basketball court as well.
“I definitely have some ups, I can do something with the basketball as far as dunking,” he said.
“He’s a hell of an athlete, the guy can windmill and 360 dunk at his size – I’ve witnessed it,” Glenn said.
Williams believes his dunking and basketball prowess translates to his game when he is on the field, between the white lines.
“It helps with body control and seeing a target,” he said.
“When you play basketball, you have a ball and you have a target. You know what you’re aiming for. Football is the same thing, just moving. You still have your target, you still can jump and adjust your body how you need – with dunking you have a little flair and grace about it – same thing with being a receiver and going up and getting the ball.”
Along with his moon-walking hops, Williams teams his rare speed – 4.28 seconds in the 40– and some Yoga training, to turn himself into a legitimate “six-quick” threat with the ball in his possession.
“He’s displaying his talent right now, it’s a joy to throw to him,” Glenn said.
His quarterback puts it so simply, but defences aren’t finding it so simple in trying to find a way to shut down the slick, rookie speedster.
