Williams, Savage hope for a long future at Rutgers

De’Antwan Williams first became familiar with Tom Savage at a combine at Penn State, where the two high school prospects crossed paths for a day in May of 2007. There was nothing special about their initial encounter, just two highly-recruited players showcasing their skills.

But the relationship between the two changed after Savage committed to Rutgers in April of 2008. As the Scarlet Knights stepped up their interest in Williams, Savage, the most heralded quarterback recruit in Rutgers’ history, targeted Williams as well, making the case to Williams that if he signed with Rutgers, the two could form a memorable one-two punch for the program’s offense.

Savage’s sales pitch helped convince Williams to sign with the New Jersey school and a bond was cemented.

The headliners of Rutgers’ 2009 recruiting class, Williams and Savage have become fast friends. Williams has already visited Savage’s home in Pennsylvania for a weekend and the two plan on rooming together in the fall.

They also both have high expectations for themselves. Although they are only freshmen, Williams and Savage are more than ready to play as soon as possible and make an immediate impact.

“The big thing for me and him is that we are both high recruits and we both want the same thing as freshmen and that is to start,” Williams said.

Williams’ friendship with Savage has been one of the key parts in helping Williams transition more easily into life as a college football player. For the past month, Williams has been adjusting to his new environment at Rutgers by taking an English class and undergoing intense workouts in preparation for the upcoming season.

Faced with a schedule crammed full of weight training and conditioning, Williams has found little down time for a breather.

“It’s hard, real hard,” said Williams, who finishes up school Friday before heading home for a week.

To get in better shape, Williams said the Rutgers coaches wanted him to reduce his body fat from 13 percent to 10, which meant he had to drop from 198 pounds down to 189 before pushing his weight back up to 200.

“My body has adjusted to it, but the time for breaks goes by fast and then you are right back out there,” Williams said.

Although nothing has been firmed up, Williams feels strongly he will not redshirt as a freshman this season. Rutgers returns its top four rushers from last season, including junior Kordell Young, who rushed for a team-high 554 yards and five touchdowns in eight games.

Williams, who rushed for 1,950 yards last season and scored 32 touchdowns for the Vikings, was the only running back Rutgers signed for 2009, fulfilling the promise Scarlet Knights’ head coach Greg Schiano made to Williams that if Williams came to Rutgers, Schiano would sign no other running backs for that class.

“I highly doubt I will get red-shirted,” said Williams, who could also see time as a kickoff returner. “Even if I have to split time, that won’t be the worst thing.”

Williams’ chances for playing time will depend largely on how quickly he picks things up. Another area standout running back, Ryan Williams from Stonewall Jackson, was in the mix to see action last season as a freshman at Virginia Tech. But he was redshirted after struggling to adjust to passing routes and blocking assignments.

While working out at Rutgers, Williams is getting more familiar with the pace of play, even though practice doesn’t officially begin until Aug. 11. He also has plenty to look forward to.

He will wear his No. 34, a number Schiano promised to Williams if he came to Rutgers.

And he’s already getting ticket requests from family and friends, primarily for Rutgers’ Sept. 26 game at Maryland.

“It would mean a lot to have them there,” Williams said. “It would give everyone a chance to experience that atmosphere and I could show my talent off.”

Sports editor David Fawcett can be reached at 703-878-8052.