Williams aims to take Jones football to new levels.
Call a cheater if you want. Call him whatever you wish.
Williams says to bring it on. But he also says to be careful before you judge. He’s been on the other side of the fence. He’s heard it all, seen it all, and he laughs.
Ever since Williams, the former Oak Ridge High football coach, was coaxed out of a brief “retirement” last year to take over the same role just down the street at Jones, the downtown Orlando school has seen an influx of football talent.
“Out of this whole county, I’m the one who can see all that in a different perspective,” Williams said of all the other coaches at Orange County schools. “I was at Oak Ridge when all my kids went to Boone and Dr. Phillips.
“That’s just the way it was. I learned and figured if that’s how it is, then they can come take all the kids they want, but my kids are going to stay. Let me just keep the guys I got, the freshmen and sophomores, and build them up and they became my kids. My kids stayed … I built them up and we went out and beat everybody … beat everybody except Dr. Phillips. After that we started getting our kids to stay home.”
Williams said the same is happening at Jones. He said many of the players who went to other city schools actually live in the Jones district and are just coming back home.
“Half of these kids stay right here in this zone,” Williams said.
lives right over there [pointing]. stays right there.
came back home too. “These kids are Jones kids.”
Make no mistake, however, Jones is also getting its share of talent from elsewhere.
Jones High has a new appeal, and athletes are flocking in from all over. Jones has transfers from Oak Ridge, Dr. Phillips, Evans, Edgewater, First Academy, Boone, Ocoee and even Jacksonville.
Helped by new legislation that allows students to transfer to whatever school they so desire, Jones has benefited most among area high schools. More than 30 football players have shown up on the doorstep of the school, which sits just a couple of post patterns away from Camping World Stadium COMMENTARY in Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood.
For Williams, the program speaks for itself. He understands why players wanted to go to Dr. Phillips and Boone in the past when he was at Oak Ridge. It was appealing.
Now Jones High has its own shimmer. Williams is taking the program to new levels. He’s even scheduled a game this year at St. Johns Academy in Washington, D.C., a contest that could potentially end up as an ESPN-televised event.
Williams’ accomplishments are impressive.
During his time at Oak Ridge, he led the Pioneers to two district titles and was 47-15. He was named the FCAC Class 7A coach of the year after a 9-2 season that got Oak Ridge into the state playoffs in 2014. He was also Metro Conference coach of the year in 2014 and 2010.
In his first season at Jones last year, he guided the Tigers to a 10-2 mark, falling only to eventual Class 4A state champion Cocoa twice, the last time in the state quarterfinals.
He takes pride in what his teams have accomplished and the way he’s gone about coaching them. Obviously the players have bought in. More than 15 players have left Oak Ridge for Jones during the past two school years.
the mother of rising senior cornerback
who committed to Ohio State last week, is one of many parents who applaud Williams for what he has done.
“Coach Will does such a great job with these kids,” said Tate, whose son played at Orlando First Academy as a freshman and sophomore.
The players obviously love playing for their coach.
“Coach Will is an awesome head coach. Coach Will is just everything,” rising senior cornerback
said. “He expects a lot from us because he sees the talent in us . ... He’s been at that level [UF and Atlanta Falcons] and for us, we just need to be coachable and listen.”
The other thing Williams takes immense pride in is getting his players to the next level. He was instrumental in getting converted tight end to Tennessee last season after Brown switched from the quarterback position during his senior year. Nine Jones players signed National Letters of Intent in February to play college football. For Williams, that’s more important than the numbers in the victory column.
“We advertise our kids. Every two days, I send out film. I flood [college coaches] with Hudl film,” Williams said. “They have no choice but to look at it. ”
He knows talent and he is respected for it. If Williams tells a college coach he has a player who can play at his school, that coach listens.
That’s why
is at Florida State. It’s why
is expected to do big things at Notre Dame. It’s why will be a big part of the USF offense next season.
Before those players get to that level, however, Williams does still expect to win.
“We break down every day, ‘State champs on me, state champs on three,’ ” Cross said.
Nothing less.