West Newsmagazine 8-15-18

16 I SPORTS I
August 15, 2018
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Colleges bid for playing services of ‘quiet assassin’ Jalani Williams
By WARREN MAYES
A career that started as a freshman quarterback
will end this fall with Parkway
North senior Jalani Williams having his
pick of major colleges to attend.
He remains a “quarterback” but not
under center. Instead, he’s a “quarterback
of the defense” as a safety. The 6-foot-3
and 175-pound Williams had 61 tackles
and two interceptions as a junior. He was
a unanimous Class 4 first-team, all-state
selection by Missouri Media and Missouri
Football Coaches Association.
“I love playing defense,” Williams said.
“I feel like a quarterback of the defense.”
Coach Bob Bunton said, “He’s like a
coach on the field. He’s very intelligent.
He knows the game.”
Certainly, Williams is well regarded.
Considered a four-star recruit by all major
college scouting services, Williams has
his pick of schools where he might play.
Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU and
Nebraska are the schools with whom he
keeps in closest contact. He visited Alabama
at the end of June. Oklahoma has
recruited him and can give him a teammate
he knows well – Michael Thompson, who
graduated from Parkway North in June.
Missouri has signed many Parkway
North players, and Williams said he has
good relationships with the coaching staffs
at Nebraska and LSU. So, it’s anyone’s
guess where he’ll end up.
“He’s everything you want in an athlete,”
Bunton said. “I really believe you’ll see
Jalani playing on Sundays in the future.”
For now, Williams does not appear to be
in a hurry to make a decision.
“I had 32 offers,” he said of the schools
recruiting him. “It gets overwhelming at
Jalani Williams
times. It’s mind-blowing to be in this position.”
He said he might announce his decision
at the school’s homecoming pep rally
on Oct. 12. “I’ll just put on the hat of the
school I choose at the rally,” he said.
He’ll enroll in that school for the January
term after graduating early this December.
He plans to study either sports medicine or
business. But first, there is this season to
play. His goal is to stay healthy and lead
the team to a winning season.
“We want to make sure a season like last
year doesn’t happen again,” Williams said.
The Vikings finished the regular season
5-6 and tied for last place in the Suburban
XII Conference South Division. “We’ll go
game by game and try to win every game.”
Williams had surgery in January 2018 on
his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum.
He underwent physical therapy twice a
week every week after the surgery. He was
cleared for all activity three weeks ago.
Unable to pinpoint exactly when the injury
happened, he knew something was up in
the second game last season. But that’s all
behind him now.
“I can’t wait to play again,” Williams
said.
Ironically, his Viking varsity career
began with an injury when quarterback
Luke Hertzler was injured in the third
game of the season. Hertzler now plays
football at Missouri S&T.
“We were winning and I came in and
sparked the team with my two big runs in
that game,” Williams recalled. “I played
quarterback the rest of the season on
offense.”
Williams completed 49 of 103 passes for
696 yards and four touchdowns. He also
ran for 114 yards on 33 carries.
“I give myself about a B as a quarterback,”
he said. “I helped lead us to a 7-4
season.”
Bunton was impressed with how Williams
handled everything.
“He was great,” Bunton said. “He got
thrown into the fire. Athletically, we were
able to run the ball more with him than with
other quarterbacks. He took command.”
As a sophomore, Williams went back to
safety. He can use all his athletic ability
there, including his speed, which he also
relies on when competing in track for the
Vikings. He won at state as a sophomore in
the 110 hurdles. He finished in 14.26 seconds
for the fastest 110-hurdle time in the
state in 2017.
Last season was a breakthrough year for
him in football. He recorded 61 tackles and
picked off two passes. To prepare for competition,
he watches game films.
“It’s like watching TV for me. I love
it,” Williams said. “You’re making a cheat
sheet for the game. You know what’s going
on because you’ve watched the film. You
narrow down the options and know what
[the opposing team] might do.”
It’s not surprising that Williams will be a
team captain again this fall.
“He’s a quiet leader,” Bunton said. “I call
him ‘the quiet assassin.’ He may be one of
the most soft-spoken kids in our school.
He’s a great student. He’s everything you’d
want in a kid to coach.
“The other kids respect him. He says very
little, but he’s very intense and works very
hard.”
• • •
[For a list of other area recruits, visit
westnewsmagazine.com]
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