To Play or Not to Play
September 01, 2008 02:28 PM | General
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| Reed Williams |
Reed Williams will play Saturday against East Carolina. Reed Williams won’t play against East Carolina. Bill Stewart isn’t sure.
“I don’t know yet,” Stewart said during Monday morning’s Big East coaches’ teleconference. “We’ll see how he is.”
Last week both Williams and Stewart said the senior was going to be a go for last Saturday’s Villanova game. Williams was cleared for full contact work two weeks ago and had a full week of practice leading up to the season opener. But when the teams took the field Williams was dressed in sweat pants and a West Virginia golf shirt and watched from the sidelines.
“He could have played but he couldn’t have played a complete game,” Stewart said. “That’s the thing to me.”
Stewart said Williams and the doctors will make the call for this weekend.
“He had the green light to go last weekend, he just didn’t have the green light to go long,” Stewart said. “His muscles will fatigue and tire. I will never put anybody out there – nor will trainer Dave Kerns – who can’t protect themselves and play football.
“He can go - it’s just what percent can he go? That’s what we’re trying to determine,” Stewart said.
Stewart said Williams practiced S night.
“I’m just waiting to see how he turns out on Friday and Saturday,” Stewart said.
Williams, last year’s Fiesta Bowl defensive MVP and team’s leading tackler, has a tough choice to make if he continues to be held out of action. Williams still has a redshirt available and could be a part of a very experienced West Virginia defense in 2009. Or he could play part of this year with a senior class that includes quarterback Pat White.
Getting the majority of the snaps at middle linebacker in Williams’ place against Villanova was Anthony Leonard.
