Wins and records: BYU's Williams hopes to cap senior season with success


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PROVO — BYU running back Jamaal Williams just wants to focus on winning games in his senior season.

But he admits it’s hard when a four-year personal achievement is within reach.

Williams is just 929 yards away from becoming the Cougars’ all-time rushing leader, needing less than 1,000 yards to eclipse former standout Harvey Unga as the school’s top running back in program history, statistically speaking.

“I want the record, individually; it’s just 900 more yards,” Williams said at last week’s BYU media day. “It’s in the back of my mind, though not the first thing. But I just want to win.”

Given the choice between a 10-win season or the all-time record, the watch-list honoree for awards named after all-time greats like Doak Walker and Robert “Tiny” Maxwell didn’t skip a beat in making his decision.

“I’d rather win than get the record,” Williams said. “If I had to pick between winning or getting the record, I’d pick the wins. Winning is always better.”

Williams currently ranks No. 6 all-time on BYU’s career rushing board, alongside such names as Unga, Curtis Brown, Jamal Willis, Lakei Heimuli and Jeff Blanc. He already knows what it means to hold big records at BYU, jumping into the top five with a single-season total of 1,233 rushing yards in 2013.

Having his name among the BYU greats is an honor for the Fontana, California, product who considered offers from Boise State, Arizona State, Utah, Oregon and UCLA — where his mother was a sprinter on the track team.

Quarterback Taysom Hill (4) hands the ball off to Brigham Young running back Jamaal Williams (21) as BYU plays Virginia on Sept. 20, 2014, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. (Photo: Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
Quarterback Taysom Hill (4) hands the ball off to Brigham Young running back Jamaal Williams (21) as BYU plays Virginia on Sept. 20, 2014, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. (Photo: Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)

“Having my name up there with all these players I’ve been thinking about since I got here is huge,” Williams said. “Harvey Unga — that’s my boy; Luke Staley — white chocolate, my other boy; Curtis Brown; Jamal Willis; I know who they all are. They’re all cool people, and they mean a lot to me.”

Williams meant a lot to one of his teammates, quarterback Taysom Hill, as the duo underwent rehabilitation for leg injuries since the final weeks of 2014.

“I was gutted when I saw the play that he got injured on,” said Hill, who counts Williams as one of his closest friends. “I reached out to him, and we’ve had several conversations about getting back and the mental side of it, what helped me. He’s handled it really well.”

Hill is also back and healthy as he prepares for his senior season. But teams should really worry about Williams, the quarterback said.

“Jamaal looks really good,” Hill said. “I’m actually surprised at how good he looks, knowing his injury. That guy has worked extremely hard to get back. We’d get a week off, and he would be in the training room every day.

“He’s hungry and he wants it, and he works for it.”

Williams better be hungry, because his offensive coordinator isn’t going to hold back with him once the season starts.

“We are ready to utilize him 100 percent after his knee injury,” BYU assistant coach Robert Anae said of Williams. “He’s a very important part of the offensive scheme.”

Williams knows the record-breaking season he could potentially have in his final year of collegiate eligibility — he said he looked up those numbers when he committed to BYU, a brash 17-year-old who thought records made anyone a superstar.

Now, the 21-year-old senior knows superstars play for super teams — and perhaps the best thing he can offer the Cougars is the infusion of swag he’s brought since he stepped foot on campus in 2012.

“I’m just doing me. If they want to follow and get their swag inspired by me, it’s really good,” Williams said with a laugh. “The bash brothers can pull it off, and if they really want some swag, it’s good. They really are looking good.”

Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen

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