photo by Photo Courtesy of Alcorn State Athletics

Alcorn State's Roderick Williams celebrates a play against Southern this past season.

Alcorn State CB attends football camp

By Krysten Oliphant (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Friday, March 20, 2009

LORMAN — While most college kids spend their spring breaks on the beach, skiing or hanging out with friends and family, Alcorn State’s Roderick Williams did something a little different.

The junior spent five days in Orlando, Fla., working out, watching film and running football drills from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Williams, a cornerback for the Braves, attended a football camp run by former Washington Redskins cornerback Darrell Green. He worked out with college players preparing to enter the 2009 NFL Draft, as well as some players already in the NFL.

“They had us going through a little school, almost,” Williams said of the weeklong camp. “We worked out, we watched film, and we also worked on our character.”

Williams said Green’s camp also taught the players how to handle the mental stresses of being a professional athlete and a leader on the team.

“(Green) showed me some leadership skills, like how to help my team succeed,” he said. “He taught me to push myself to the limits, to play to the best of my abilities, and to play my heart out every game.”

Among the other football players at the camp was DeAngelo Smith of the University of Cincinnati, with whom Williams said he really bonded.

Williams recorded three kickoff returns for 43 yards and eight punt returns for 70 yards last season.

He also recorded 36 tackles, three for a total loss of six yards, and broke up seven passes during the 2008 season. He blocked one kick.

He is a preseason pick for the second-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference team defense.

Williams said he learned a lot from the camp, and he plans to attend it again before entering the draft next spring.

“I was just seeing what my talents were,” he said. “I was up there to get better, to try to better my skills and get ready for the season.”