The Wayne Williams Show is now cancelled officially this fall in Syracuse. The hulking 6‚Äô6‚Äù 330 lb defensive lineman told The Fizz last month it looked like he would join¬†the Orange for this season. But he was not granted the early release from his JuCo that he had hoped for, and tells The Fizz¬†in an exclusive interview that he’s now determined to put on a early display for Orange fans downstate.
“My grades are in order, but because I didn’t get the early release, I won’t be able to get up to Syracuse until January. A year of eligibility is going to be wasted so I might as well play with ASA, make it to the [Junior College] national championship, and give everyone a preview before the Syracuse season.”
Williams was originally supposed to be at “Swagger-Cuse” this past January. But grade troubles kept him at ASA Рone of the top JuCo programs in the country - one more semester, and he again had to push back his arrival date to CNY. Transcript release issues will keep him in Brooklyn until the winter.
Williams‚Äô situation is interesting. He graduated from Lincoln HS in Brooklyn in the spring of 2011. The¬†DT played at ASA in 2011, but decided to sit out the 2012 season so he would have three years of eligibility at Syracuse (2013-2015). That plan backfired a bit. It won‚Äôt be three years, but he assured The Fizz¬†he will arrive in January ’14 and have two years of eligibility left.
Some SU fans may wonder if the Williams saga will ever end with him wearing Orange. According to Wayne, the Syracuse coaches are still on board. WW says he talked to D-Line Coach Tim Daoust before summer workouts started last month. He offered this alternate plan to Daoust in case his grades were not sent on time, and Wayne says Daoust okayed it.
Williams tells The Fizz he allowed non-football distractions hinder his progress in the classroom. But since the summer started, he’s adamant that nothing will stop him from bringing his talents up Route 81.
“I’m going to keep my head focused. Before there were a lot of off the field distractions. Now I’m more humble, I had a year to think about things, pick the route I want to take in my life, and now everything is going my way and I am controlling that.”
He says his GPA is up to about a 3.2, and is currently taking three classes this semester at ASA. After originally committing to the Orange back in May of 2012, he knows by now Orange fans may have forgotten his name. He’s prepared to win back their respect with a solid season on the New York City gridiron this fall.
“I’m a Brooklyn dude, I’m going to do what I do best, and that’s play football. When I lace up my cleats, and get on that field, I’m going to do what I’m born to do.”
In the meantime, Wayne has also been actively recruiting some of Brooklyn’s finest. The former Lincoln star attended Syracuse’s season opener against Penn State this past weekend at Metlife with current Lincoln standout, and SU target, 5-star DL Thomas Holley. Williams is keeping the senior focused, and has some good news for Orange fans wondering where Syracuse stands with his recruitment.
“He wants to be up there with Terrel Hunt, and he knows I’m coming up there so it’s a great situation. I can’t say he’s 100% [on board with Syracuse] but I know his heart is definitely there.”
You never know. Maybe the Lincoln stars do align this winter and both Williams and Holley end up in Orange. That’s one show that will be alive and kicking for years.
Posted: Kevin Fitzgerald
