Mike Hopkins saw Mike Williams’ potential before anyone in the football program. While recruiting Paul Harris, Syracuse’s assistant basketball coach kept noticing an unpolished athlete running the floor with one of New York’s top prospects.

Syracuse safeties and nickel backs coach Scott Spencer and wide receivers coach Chris White knew little about the football player Williams. He was on their radar after meeting with him and watching film, but they weren’t completely convinced or ready to offer him a scholarship. Hopkins provided all the persuasion any coach needed.

He didn’t know if Williams could catch passes or run routes, but his athletic prowess was undeniable.

‘I couldn’t believe this kid’s toughness and his incredible athletic instincts,’ Hopkins said. ‘Here was a guy asking to guard Paul (Harris) in practice and going right up with him. Then he’d make a steal and dunk on a 7-footer.’

A week later, Williams accepted a football scholarship offer, making him Syracuse’s first verbal commitment from the recruiting class of 2006. Despite his basketball potential, Williams’ primary goal was to play Division I football.

When Williams arrived on campus, he expected to play both sports for the Orange. A year later, he enters his sophomore season after the most successful season for a Syracuse freshman wide receiver in nearly 25 years.

Dreams of March Madness were temporarily put on hold but certainly not forgotten.

‘I’ve been talking to Paul (Harris) all the time, and he keeps telling me I should try out and get back into basketball,’ Williams said. ‘I chose to stick with football, but I’ve been itching to play basketball.’

Coming out of high school, the 6-foot-2 Williams could have accepted a D-I basketball scholarship. Low grades scared away some of the major conferences, but Hopkins said Williams could have easily secured a spot in a mid-major conference like the Mid-American Conference. With stronger academics, a Big East program was possible.

Few schools offered Williams a D-I football scholarship. Not many scouts recruit Western New York, and Riverside Institute of Technology in Buffalo is not a football hotbed. Until Syracuse made an offer, Williams was seriously considering accepting a basketball scholarship and discarding his gridiron dreams.

Once at Syracuse, Williams had not made a final decision about basketball but expected to join the basketball team in the winter. If basketball season were in the fall and football were in the winter, things may have been different.

‘Football season came first, and that made my decision for me,’ Williams said. ‘I did so well in my first year, so I decided to turn my focus to just playing football.’

Last season, Williams became the first freshman to lead the Orange in receiving yards with 461 since Scott Schwedes accomplished the feat in 1983. He also caught four touchdowns. During training camp, not even Williams thought he’d see so much time on the field.

When Taj Smith broke his collarbone last September, somebody needed to step into the vacated role of top receiver. A cast of receivers vied for the role, but Williams clearly stood out. If not for Smith’s injury, Williams probably would have seen little playing time.

Williams embraced the chance to contribute immediately. His first reception in college went for 25 yards, and he quickly became Syracuse’s most dynamic big-play threat. Smith is healthy this season, and Williams is the starter lined up on the other side.

‘We weren’t surprised because Mike’s one of those guys who loves to play the game,’ Spencer said. ‘He doesn’t practice. He’s always playing the game. He was chomping at the bit to get in and play, and I was proud he got the opportunity and made the most of it.’

But this season has been considerably tougher, even through just one game. Opposing teams barely knew Williams last year, not concerned with an unknown true freshman. Williams said last year was ‘like running through air.’ Already against Washington last Friday, he felt a difference.

The Huskies’ corners bumped him at the line of scrimmage, not letting Williams run free downfield. No longer can Williams sneak up and surprise defenses – he’s officially one of Syracuse’s main threats.

With tougher competition comes a better football player. Last season, Williams was a raw athlete still learning the game. In high school, Riverside head coach Tony Truilizio called fades for Williams at any time, regardless of the down or situation.

Never before had Williams cared about reading cornerbacks or finding seams in zone coverage. He just out-jumped the double or triple team.

Over the summer, Williams worked to become a better wide receiver instead of relying only on pure athleticism. He went through White’s speed camp to improve his 40-yard dash times and spent extra time studying the playbook.

Against Washington, Williams was one of the Orange’s few bright spots. He caught three passes for 35 yards and the lone Syracuse touchdown.

‘You couldn’t believe how much better of a football player Mike is this year,’ White said. ‘He knows so much more about reading defenses, running routes, catching passes, and he’s so much faster. Now he’s really running.’

Now in his second football season, it seems Williams chose the right sport. Hopkins said he couldn’t have made it to the NBA, but professional football is not an unreasonable expectation. Truilizio agreed, saying football is definitely Williams’ best sport.

Yet basketball has never left Williams’ mind, and it probably won’t during his college career. Hopkins told Williams to stay focused on football, but don’t tell that to Williams. Playing for Jim Boeheim still rests alongside the goal of bringing Syracuse to a bowl game.

‘I’m still thinking about it, but if I do go back to basketball, it’d be a big surprise to everybody,’ Williams said. ‘Paul keeps asking me about it, and I’ve talked to Coach Hopkins a lot. We’ll see how this season goes. If it doesn’t go well, you never know.’

Published on September 4, 2007 at 12:00 pm