Don’t know how many of you saw today’s dead-tree edition feature on Edwin Williams, but the senior center is really one of the steadiest guys on a team riddled for much of the year by inconsistency.
That’s a word that came up so often in the first half of the year, and it was worth asking a lot of people about it. But it was always strange when it came to asking Williams; this is a guy offensive coordinator James Franklin repeatedly described as one of the Terps’ best players and overlooked stars.
Williams was the ACC’s offensive lineman of the week for his work in Saturday’s 17-15 defeat of North Carolina; when the nominees were sent out Sunday, Williams’ entry noted it was one of the top grades offensive line coach Tom Brattan ever gave.
Seemed only fair to see just how well Williams stacked up on Brattan’s scale.
“He played very well,” Brattan said. “My winning grade is 1.25, and I’m a notoriously hard grader, and I think he was at 1.45. He played lights out. He played the best I’ve seen him play. At the same time, all the line guys played very well.”
But it’s a group that collectively hasn’t been great for good chunks of the season. That’s what makes Williams even more valuable – if anyone on that line has to be reliable, it’s the guy who touches the ball on every snap.
“He’s kind of the mainstay on the line,” Brattan said. “He’s a three-year starter and he’s seen all the stuff. You can make blocking adjustments with him, he sees blitzes we haven’t seen before. He’s a vocal leader, he’s sharp. He’s huge for us. That’s what you want to have – a center who’s seen a lot of stuff.”
