Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Backups always have to be prepared
FAYETTEVILLE — Every coach has a contingency plan for when a starter goes down.
It’s why coaches have backups. And it’s why — while praying every prayer that Rawleigh Williams is and will be OK, much less play football again after his second temporarily paralyzing scare with a neck injury — Razorbacks Coach Bret Bielema and his University of Arkansas, Fayetteville staff hit the film room to re-evaluate all the other running backs’ performances during the 15 spring practices.
Temporarily unable to move after suffering a neck injury against Auburn seven games into the 2015 season, Williams was immobilized then by medical staff and carted off of Reynolds Razorback Stadium’s Frank Broyles Field.
Miraculously, Williams made good on his vow to return to the game he loved. He led the SEC last season in regular-season rushing with 1,326 yards and finished with 245 carries for 1,360 after the Belk Bowl loss to Virginia Tech.
The junior running back from Dallas was completing an intensely physical spring 2017 while totaling 36 carries for 288 yards in two scrimmages.
He went through all that unscathed, yet went down while temporarily unable to move during Saturday’s “thud” practice that did not include full tackling to the ground inside the Walker Pavilion.
Williams was able to move all parts Saturday before being whisked away by ambulance, but he continues to be observed to determine the extent of Saturday’s neck injury.
In the meantime, Bielema — who first used Williams in 2015 as a backup to 1,000-yard rusher Alex Collins after running back Jonathan Williams went down with a season-ending injury during the August preseason — looks first to Devwah Whaley, the sophomore who netted 602 yards on 110 carries last season.
“I thought Devwah even picked it up a little bit after the injury to Rawleigh today,” Bielema said on Saturday.
Bielema, offensive coordinator Dan Enos and running backs coach Reggie Mitchell have praised Maleek Williams, a December high school graduate from Punta Gorda, Fla., who enrolled as an UA freshman. He has impressed by shedding 17 pounds as much as for some power running against his elders.
“Maleek Williams really didn’t have a flashy day today,” Bielema said Saturday. “But he’s been a pretty impressive guy so far.”
Definitely so, Enos said earlier during the spring.
“Maleek Williams has been a great addition to that room,” Enos said. “He runs extremely hard and determined. He’s got good lower body power and explosiveness and a real good feel for running and tempo of things for being a freshman.”
Chase Hayden, a freshman arriving this summer, sophomore running back/receiver T.J Hammonds and veteran reserve Juan Day await, too.
Given the circumstances, all prefer standing in line behind a healthy Williams, but as backups they always must prep to be at the head of the line.