Sto-Rox graduate blossoms at IUP
Williams sparks playoff run at QB
When Lenny Williams Jr. transferred from Temple to IUP before the 2015 season, he did so for two reasons.
First, he wanted an opportunity to become a starting quarterback. That probably wasn’t going to happen at Temple, where the coaching staff auditioned him at different positions to try to best utilize his athleticism.
But he also wanted a chance to win a championship, which eluded him for four years as a standout quarterback at Sto-Rox from 2010-13.
Now a redshirt junior, he has a chance to make that dream a reality. IUP will play in the 2017 NCAA Division II national semifinals Saturday, playing host to West Florida at noon at George P. Miller Stadium. The winner will advance to the national championship game Dec. 16 in Kansas City, Kan.
It’s been a historic season for the Crimson Hawks, who are 13-0 and have clinched a Western Division title, PSAC championship and NCAA playoff berth in Paul Tortorella’s first season as head coach. A win on Saturday would result in the program’s first 14-win campaign.
IUP’s depth on offense and defense has been a major factor in this season’s success, but Williams is the biggest reason. An ACL injury that forced him to miss the final three games of the 2016 season hasn’t slowed him this year, and for the third consecutive season he’s a nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy — Division-II football’s equivalent of the Heisman.
“We’ve been working for this since we started back in August,” Williams said. “Honestly, since whenever coach Tortorella took over. We can see the change that was going on around the environment, it was a little bit different. Everyone seemed a little more happy. It translated to summer camp and then the room bought in. Everybody bought in and Tortorella made sure we stuck to our plan. This game coming up is big.”
Before this season, Tortorella said Williams was a great athlete who played quarterback. As a redshirt freshman in 2015, he had more rushing touchdowns (12) than passing touchdowns (9). But his ACL injury encouraged him to learn the finer points of being a pocket quarterback and improve his mechanics as he sat out of spring practice to rehab is knee.
It shows on that stat sheet, as Williams has more passing touchdowns this year (30) than in his first two seasons combined (23).
• 2015: 1,549 passing yards, 54 percent completion rate, 9 passing TDs, 4 INTs, 1229 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 7.8 yards per rush, 12 games
• 2016: 1,832 passing yards, 68 percent completion rate, 14 passing TDs, 1 INT, 594 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 5.7 yards per run, 9 games
• 2017: 2,703 passing yards, 66 percent completion rate, 30 passing TDs, 9 INTs, 382 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 4.6 yards per run, 13 games
“I would say after the third or fourth game this year, he really proved that he can do everything from the pocket that you need to do,” Tortorella said. “He continues to do things outside the pocket, he continues to run the offense as far as checks at the line of scrimmage and so forth. He’s really, in the past year, really worked at his craft to make himself a better overall quarterback.”
IUP also hasn’t needed Williams to rely on his ability to leave the pocket and run the ball. The offensive line has given up just 11 sacks this year, and running backs Samir Bullock (1,144 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns), Justice Evans (969, 7), Duane Brown (500, 6) and Malik Anderson (426, 2) have provided a potent rushing attack.
Williams said that winning the Harlon Hill Trophy would be a “visual representation” of the hard work he has put in to alter his game. But he made one thing clear — his main goal is to win a championship.
“I’ve always been a team guy,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to go out there and play well. But my main goal isn’t to go out there and win the Harlon Hill every year. I want to go out there and try to win a championship.
“It would be nice, a big bonus and another form of showing your hard work. But I’m trying to go out there and be the ultimate team player and do whatever I can to win my team a championship.”