By Brandon Wright, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
RIVERVIEW
Linebacker Rodney Williams was looking forward to a huge senior year at a storied area football powerhouse, a deep trip into the playoffs and a magical recruiting process that would eventually land him at a major Division I college program.
Turned out for Williams, the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the football field.
"If I could boil this whole thing down to one sentence, it would be 'If you start off having success somewhere, stay there,' "Williams said. "Just don't leave."
After starring at Spoto his sophomore and junior years, Williams transferred to Hillsborough prior to last season. An all-state linebacker and rated one of the top players at his position in Florida, Williams had already drawn interest from Florida, North Carolina State and the University of South Florida heading into his senior campaign.
"Everyone wanted him because he is a special football player," Spoto coach Dale Caparaso said.
Williams only figured to make an already formidable 2010 Hillsborough defense even that much better. But what seemed like a perfect fit on paper was anything but.
Williams struggled with nagging injuries, didn't always see eye-to-eye with some of the coaches at Hillsborough and began feeling the weight of expectations.
"Football is football but I had to learn a whole new system and I had my little problems with some of the coaches," Williams said. "I was expected to do certain things and because of the injuries I couldn't. I don't think the coaches ( at Hillsborough) appreciated me, at times."
Because of an ankle sprain that severely limited him throughout the first eight games and diminished playing time, Williams was in a recruiting free fall.
"I didn't know what was going to happen," Williams said.
Then after one semester at Hillsborough, Williams pulled an about face. He transferred back to Spoto, a school he spurned for the Terriers in August.
"I felt he had the talent to play at the Division I level," said Preston Jackson, an assistant coach at Hillsborough during the 2010 season who also runs bigcountypreps.com.
• • •
But as local stars signed their national letters of intent earlier this month, Williams could only watch and hope a college would remember his past more than his final season.
Few schools were biting.
"I didn't even know he had transferred (back to Spoto) until a few days after school started back up (in January)," Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia said. "It's a damn shame what happened to him with the injuries."
Enter Caparaso, who months earlier had received the news from Williams he was leaving the Spartans. But rather than feeling slighted, Caparaso went to bat for his former linebacker, putting out feelers for interest.
"It is an unusual situation," Caparaso said. "But not if you know the relationship I have with Rodney."
And despite the transfer, Williams knew Caparaso was in his corner.
"We would text each other like every Friday during the season to wish each other good luck," Williams said. "It's like a father and son relationship."
• • •
With Caparaso and Jackson's help, Williams will sign with Austin Peay, a small Division 1-AA school in Tennessee. It's a far cry from the bright lights of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but an opportunity Williams is thankful to have considering his wild recruiting ride.
"It's a good fit for me," Williams said.
Caparaso said helping his former star was a no brainer.
"Rodney made a mistake by leaving here," Caparaso said. "But I love that boy like a son."
As Williams prepares to leave his odyssey behind, he said he's unlikely to forget the lessons learned this year.
"At the end of the day I wish I had never left (Spoto)," Williams said. "I made a choice and things didn't work out, but I'm looking forward to a new opportunity."
Brandon Wright can be reached at hillsnews@sptimes.com.
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