Summer Fun
June 21, 2007 04:26 PM | General
June 21, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For most of us, summer is a time to kick back, relax, and enjoy our beverage of choice. Summer for Larry Williams and the rest of his West Virginia University teammates has been pure hell, and it’s not just because it’s hot up on the grass practice field where the team does summer conditioning.
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| Larry Williams started seven games at corner last year as a junior.
Pete Emerson photo |
They also just happen to have a sadist for a strength and conditioning coach in Mike Barwis.
“I can honestly say that this has been the hardest summer since I’ve been here and I’ve been here close to five years,” Williams admitted recently. “It really has gotten harder.”
Not that the others weren’t hard, but last year’s two Big East losses to Louisville and South Florida have left a sour taste in the mouths of the players and coaches. Apparently in Barwis’ twisted way of thinking, the best way to get that bad taste out of their mouths is for them to throw up. Several players have already done so, losing their breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“It’s mostly more of the conditioning part – the running,” Williams says.
Williams admits that, despite a Gator Bowl victory over Georgia Tech, the team left some business unfinished in 2006.
“Coming off a year like that you want to prepare yourself harder because we don’t want to feel like we felt last year,” he said. “It was still a good year but with the expectations so high we just want to keep working hard.”
Williams happens to play a position that many critics fingered as one of the areas that needs to be addressed in 2007. West Virginia’s young and inexperienced secondary had a tough time defending the passing game, especially down the stretch in games against Louisville, Cincinnati, Pitt, USF, Rutgers and Georgia Tech. Four of those six teams wound up passing for more than 300 yards against the Mountaineers.
West Virginia finished the season ranked 109th in pass defense (out of 119 teams) and another year like that will not get the Mountaineers where they hope to be in January.
“There are always going to be negative people and there are always going to be positive people and we don’t want to listen to all the negative,” Williams said. “We want to continue to grow and get better as a team.”
Williams said the secondary got a head start on that this spring, spending more time together getting to know each other a little better.
“It was more of a bonding thing,” he explained. “We spent a lot more time with each other. When it comes down to it -- it is everyone on the field together. We took that extra step of spending more time with each other off the field.”
He says improvements were also made with their practice and study habits.
“We’ve been watching more film,” he said. “The more you know about the game the more prepared you will be. That’s what I took from (spring practice). Getting in the film room and learning more about my opponents and myself as well.”
Williams started seven games in 2006 and finished with 16 tackles and four pass breakups. It wasn’t a spectacular year by any means, but it was something to build on for his senior year. Williams, at 6-feet-1 and 190 pounds, has nice size for a corner to go with good athletic ability and speed.
He believes having the opportunity to play in all 12 games last year will really benefit him this season.
“When you’re a beginner coming in at this level even though you might be ready when you’re out there you get like nervous or you might be overly excited,” Williams said. “Being out there and being under fire in some of these close games you learn when to relax and when to explode.
“It’s a way different ballgame from high school,” he added. “In high school you might be able to get away with letting someone come up on you but technique is the key in college.”
The key for Williams right now, he says, is to eat right and get plenty of rest. Otherwise, those mid-afternoon sessions with Mr. Barwis will be especially painful.
“People tend to eat whatever they want,” Williams explained. “Especially in this program where you just can’t go out and eat whatever you want because you’re going to throw it right up. Getting that nutrition in you is what I really need to work on. You need plenty of fruits and vegetables and things like that.”
Sounds like pretty good advice for anyone, not just football players having to deal with Mike Barwis in the summertime.
