'11 NY OLB Ishaq Williams (Signed ND LOI-EE)

[TheTurningPoint]

City Gridiron Season 2 Episode 1 - A "Meet Ishaq Williams".mov - YouTube

 

[ChiRish]

City Gridiron Season 2 Episode 1 - A "Meet Ishaq Williams".mov - YouTube

All I can say is wow. Seems like he comes from a great family. Grounded kid. Thanks for the video, I've never seen that.

 

[tadman95]

Ishaq will be great. Kids adjust differently, I see a difference in him already. When he's ready, he will apply his will.

 

[NDdomer2]

Lets for a second look at Ishaq as the average div. 1 lb. If he played really well as a junior and exceptional as a senior we would all be pleased. His hype is the only reason we are discussing this about a kid who is only a sophomore. I would guarantee he is ahead of the avg div 1 lb at this point in his career.

 

[Grahambo]

Notre Dame football: Ishaq outgrows old number, old habits - southbendtribune.com

 

[ChiRish]

Notre Dame football: Ishaq outgrows old number, old habits - southbendtribune.com

Good stuff. Certainly sounds like he's got the will to make it happen. He's learning a multi-faceted, complicated position on defense. Once it clicks, watch out.

 

[NewBrunswickIrish]

I know that at least anarin and I mentioned this in another thread but any chance Ishaq moves back to DE in Lynch's role. It would be more simplified and to me he seems like he's almost too big to play OLB imo. His hips are super wide so he pack on probably another 10 pounds

 

[rtrn2glory]

possibility...maybe he's a true 3rd down guy now where they turn him loose and say go get the QB.

although, with his athleticism he would be a great end against spread teams

 

[woolybug25]

I agree, I hope Kelly at least gives him a look on the edge.

 

[anarin]

I can see it happening for sure. Especially if he continues to struggle picking up the OLB position. It's much easier to just turn him loose every play.

So the scenario could play out that he is situational this year, being that his hands are down on 3rd down and maybe in the drop in early downs? This is definitely interesting to see now.

 

[BurningRiver]

I would love to see him as a pass rushing DE

 

[IrishLion]

I can see it happening for sure. Especially if he continues to struggle picking up the OLB position. It's much easier to just turn him loose every play.

So the scenario could play out that he is situational this year, being that his hands are down on 3rd down and maybe in the drop in early downs? This is definitely interesting to see now.

I was hoping to see KLM - TUITT - LYNCH - ISHAQ in a four man front at some point this season, so as to let Lynch take advantage of the inside while Ishaq used his speed on the outside. Now I think Ishaq def puts his hand down on the end more often, but minus the Lynch

 

[ChiRish]

I would be on board with this move. Have some depth at LB anyways.

 

[Emcee77]

I was hoping to see KLM - TUITT - LYNCH - ISHAQ in a four man front at some point this season, so as to let Lynch take advantage of the inside while Ishaq used his speed on the outside. Now I think Ishaq def puts his hand down on the end more often, but minus the Lynch

I bet in pass rush situations we'll see a lot of that four man front with Tuitt and Schwenke/Springmann inside and KLM and Shembo/Williams outside.

Springmann has been hurt this spring but I remember hearing great things about him impressing in practice last fall camp. We'll see if it translates to the field next year. And I've read that Schwenke has been getting some reps at DT/NG this spring.

 

[jimmymac]

I talked to an current lb about this possibility and he said "no way". I think the staff likes him too much at backer

 

[BGIF]

I talked to an current lb about this possibility and he said "no way". I think the staff likes him too much at backer

An inside scoop! Thanks, jimmy!

 

[PANDFAN]

Kelly says linebacker Ishaq Williams was also recently granted some time away from the program to decide whether he wanted to continue his Notre Dame career. Unlike Lynch, Williams decided his head and heart are still both under the golden dome.

“I don’t think it was about Ishaq not wanting to be here,” Kelly said of the Brooklyn, NY native. “He had to make that decision that he was going to excel at Notre Dame. He’s come back with that attitude and you can see it on the football field.”

 

[NDinFL]

Kelly says linebacker Ishaq Williams was also recently granted some time away from the program to decide whether he wanted to continue his Notre Dame career. Unlike Lynch, Williams decided his head and heart are still both under the golden dome.

“I don’t think it was about Ishaq not wanting to be here,” Kelly said of the Brooklyn, NY native. “He had to make that decision that he was going to excel at Notre Dame. He’s come back with that attitude and you can see it on the football field.”

Thanks for the update.

 

[jimmymac]

An inside scoop! Thanks, jimmy!

I try. Tough day here on campus.

 

[Ironman8]

Great article on Ishaq from Hansen, which will run in the SBT tomorrow:

http://www.southbendtribune.com/spor...ge=3&track=rss

Notre Dame football: Williams primed for breakout season

5:09 p.m. EDT, July 7, 2012
Shaun Williams knew it was coming, but he still got sticker shock from his grocery bill in the days after son Ishaq arrived home from Notre Dame for what was supposed to be a brief three-week break in May.

"I definitely had to adjust my shopping," said the Brooklyn, N.Y., resident and father of ND's most intriguing untapped football talent, a raw 6-foot-5, 255-pound outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid.

"He eats everything that's not nailed to the floor, and then a lot of his buddies come by and do the same thing."

It wasn't much different, with the possible exception of a subtle increase in volume, when Ishaq was suiting up for Abraham Lincoln High and attracting football recruiters to Brooklyn in staggering numbers and frequency.

New York City as a whole -- in fact New York state -- is a can-miss destination when geography and recruiting budgets call for it. Since 1988, the nation's third-most populous state has produced only the 44th most NFL players, per capita.

Only West Virginia, New Mexico, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont lose to New York in state's bragging rights.

Most kids in New York City haven't played organized tackle football before their freshman year in high school, and the ones who do -- as Ishaq did -- usually do so against uneven competition. That puts even the most talented players in a chronic state of catch-up.

That's where Ishaq spent most of his freshman season at ND, amassing a modest six tackles and accumulating growing pains in exponential amounts along the way. Which is why what happened in Brooklyn in May could prove transformative.

The break, per se, never materialized. Ishaq got into yoga to work on his flexibility. He worked on his speed. He went beyond dabbling in the details of his playbook. Every one of the extra grocery dollars appeared to be burned doing something that was going to make a difference on the football field in the fall of 2012.

This is beyond what Shaun Williams was promised he would see when he called his son in March upon hearing the news that Ishaq's classmate, Aaron Lynch, had announced he was transferring in the midst of spring practice and after a freshman All-America season.

Lynch, Stephon Tuitt, Chase Hounshell, Troy Niklas, Tony Springmann, Jarrett Grace, Ben Councell, Anthony Rabasa and Ishaq were all part of a defensive front-seven haul of historic proportions the winter of 2011.

These were the missing pieces, recruiting analysts projected, that would someday soon enable the Irish to wiggle their way back into the national title discussion.

Lynch, Tuitt and Ishaq in particular were hyped together, fought through culture shock together, dreamed big together. And when Shaun Williams received the news from the papers, and not from his son directly, his mind began to race.

"I said, 'Where is your head in all of this right now?' " Shaun recounted of the phone call. "He said, 'Daddy, I'm focused, don't worry about me. I'm focused. Coach has always given me a fair opportunity. He never lied to me as it relates to promises of playing time, promises of position. I'm just going to go do what I have to do and see where the chips fall.' "

It was the same theme Ishaq had been telling his father since winter break, when a heart to heart with Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly after ND's Champs Sports Bowl loss to Florida State on Dec. 29 prompted Ishaq to change both his number (he went from 1 to 11) and his attitude.

"I don't know what turned the light on," the normally soft-spoken Ishaq said. "I just knew I had to change the way I was doing stuff."

"What I think it boiled down to," Shaun said, "was the adjustment to the college speed and working on his craft at the college level was just a little overwhelming for him.

"In New York City, we don't have the greatest football competition in the world. Ishaq was never a lazy guy. I think in four years of playing football, he was never late to a practice or never missed a practice. But to go to practice at the university level, you have to practice at 100 miles an hour every single play. It was an adjustment for him.

"So he came home over the winter break, you could see that the seed that coach Kelly put in his mind was germinating at the end of the break. When it was time to go back to school, I kind of saw a little bit of the Eye of the Tiger in him. He was pretty much determined to grab this thing by the horns."




It showed up consistently throughout last spring's 15 practices, including an interception and a fumble recovery in the Blue-Gold Game.

"I think what distinguishes people at that level is not so much talent -- because everybody's talented," Shaun said. "What distinguishes people at that level is attention to detail, work ethic and a lot of times threshold for pain and punishment."

Ishaq emerged from spring more as a tag-teammate than a backup at Cat linebacker to junior Prince Shembo, but his ascent along with Lynch's departure to the University of South Florida pushed defensive coordinator Bob Diaco to figure out ways to get both Shembo and Ishaq on the field at the same time.

One popular alignment that figures to carry over into the fall was kicking down into a 4-3 front with Ishaq and Shembo playing ends on passing downs and ends Kapron Lewis-Moore and Tuitt moving inside.

"He liked getting a taste of that," Shaun conceded.

Ishaq's first taste of football came at age 7 back in Brooklyn.

"He was moving at a different speed than his peers, and I kind of just felt in my spirit that he had a gift," Shaun said. "Or course, it had to be refined, it had to be focused, it had to be worked on."

Ishaq later played for a Pop Warner team, but the aspiring wide receiver not only found himself as a defensive tackle on the first depth chart but at the bottom of it as well.

"We were so poor that he didn't even have a practice jersey," Shaun recalled. "He just wore one of my old T-shirts over his shoulder pads.

"He went into the first scrimmage, and he was very nervous and he said, 'Daddy. I don't even know if I want to do this thing.' I said, 'Look, just go in there and show the coaches something they can't ignore.' "

Ishaq was so dominant, he was named a starter thereafter.

His next big decision was where to attend high school. Brooklyn has school choice, especially in cases involving students with good grades.

The Williamses settled on Abraham Lincoln, a school known more for producing Nobel Prize winners and NBA stars than Division I football players, though coach Shawn O'Connor had sent notably Nyan Botang to Florida/Cal and Lansford Watson to Maryland in recent years.

Among its other prominent alumni are Neil Diamond, Louis Gossett Jr., John Forsythe, Leona Helmsley, Arthur Miller and Neil Sedaka.

"We thought if perhaps we got into the Abraham Lincoln program, with the similar notoriety that basketball was getting, it would allow us to get his name out there," Shaun Williams said.

Ishaq originally also went down the path of Lincoln hoops stars Sebastian Telfair, Stephon Marbury and current Indiana Pacer Lance Stephenson until O'Connor posed a question to the family.

"Ishaq was just getting a little pain in his knees and what not from overworking," Shaun said, "and coach came to me and said, 'Mr. Williams, do we want to really pursue this basketball thing when it looks like football might end up paying the bills?'

"That fall he got invited to the University of Maryland's junior day as a sophomore after playing his first varsity season. And that's when we felt we were gaining momentum with achieving his football dream."

That it landed at Notre Dame was thanks largely to Diaco. Shaun and Ishaq were prepared to visit Penn State late in the recruiting cycle in January of 2011 when the Irish defensive coordinator showed up at their door at 4:30 a.m., and intercepted them.

The Williamses called off the trip two and a half hours later, and Ishaq was taking his first class at Notre Dame as an early-enrolled freshman four days later.

"There was something about the challenge of changing positions, from defensive end to outside linebacker, and having to see the game from a different set of eyes that was really intriguing," Shaun said.

"Coach Diaco is the consummate professional. I know he wasn't showing up at a whole lot of people's houses at 4:30 in the morning. That said something to us right there. That said they believed in him, that he could do it, and he always felt he could do it."

And when it was all over, the Williamses laughed, just as Ishaq's name implies.

"Ishaq is Arabic for Isaac," Shaun said. "And it means, 'he laughs.' It's been a very prophetic name, because he's always filled our household with laughter and happiness, and continues to do so. And as standoffish as he seems to be, he really is quite a joker."

And now the joke seems to be on everyone else?

"I didn't think it was ever about Ishaq not wanting to be here," Kelly said of the career-altering epiphany. "He had to make the decision that he was going to excel at Notre Dame.

"And now he's come back with that attitude. You can see it in the classroom, and you can see it on the football field. He's come back with his head and his heart in it."

Staff writer Eric Hansen:
ehansen@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6112

 

[NDhoosier]

This kid has all the tools to play at a high level, just needs to put his heart and mind into it.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I also just heard why we're not as desperate for a DT this cycle as I thought. Diaco is experimenting with "four-DE-style" alignments for "obvious passing downs", and Ishaq at least [and his Dad] seem to think that's going to happen a lot.

Once again: applause, Diaco.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

I also just heard why we're not as desperate for a DT this cycle as I thought. Diaco is experimenting with "four-DE-style" alignments for "obvious passing downs", and Ishaq at least [and his Dad] seem to think that's going to happen a lot.

Once again: applause, Diaco.

Very similar to the way the G-Men slide Justin Tuck inside on passing downs with Osi and JPP coming off the edge. Diaco certainly isnt re-inventing the wheel on this one, but definitely applause for the commitment to adapt his packages and schemes to the talent on his roster, and for the commitment to put his playmakers in the best position possible to make impact plays.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

By the way, I love this kid and hope he absolutely dominates over the next 3 years...he seems like a great kid with an awesome support system in place at home. Congrats to the entire Williams family for a job well done.

 

[Irish Houstonian]

To be honest, I think people misinterpret his apparent discomfort with his position last season.

What I saw was simply a true freshman trying to learn what I would consider the hardest position on defense: the zone coverage OLB in the 3-4. (Dog, Jack, Will or whatever you want to call it).

Think about it: in Cover 2 you've got slanting WR's behind you but Y's in the Hitch; in C3 Y's in the flat and flaring and leaking RB's; and then screens and draws on top of that.

And btw, you've got contain on sweeps and outside power plays...But don't get kicked out too much on a counter...And watch the reverse and play-action.

So on a broken QB scramble or roll out or Sprint Right Option type plays you basically have no idea what to do. Every decision might be wrong but the worst decision is doing nothing.

Oh and don't forget you're on national TV.

Oh and thanks in advance for making the correct decision in 1.5 seconds.

 

[NDinFL]

To be honest, I think people misinterpret his apparent discomfort with his position last season.

What I saw was simply a true freshman trying to learn what I would consider the hardest position on defense: the zone coverage OLB in the 3-4. (Dog, Jack, Will or whatever you want to call it).

Think about it: in Cover 2 you've got slanting WR's behind you but Y's in the Hitch; in C3 Y's in the flat and flaring and leaking RB's; and then screens and draws on top of that.

And btw, you've got contain on sweeps and outside power plays...But don't get kicked out too much on a counter...And watch the reverse and play-action.

So on a broken QB scramble or roll out or Sprint Right Option type plays you basically have no idea what to do. Every decision might be wrong but the worst decision is doing nothing.

Oh and don't forget you're on national TV.

Oh and thanks in advance for making the correct decision in 1.5 seconds.

Holy hell...

When you put it like that I don't blame the kid for being a little indecisive

 

[OlympiaIrishFan]

I love this kid, I think he can dominate. I can't wait to see him with a year under his belt. Scary ability. And humble. Love it.

Reminds me of Manti!

 

[ChiRish]

To be honest, I think people misinterpret his apparent discomfort with his position last season.

What I saw was simply a true freshman trying to learn what I would consider the hardest position on defense: the zone coverage OLB in the 3-4. (Dog, Jack, Will or whatever you want to call it).

Think about it: in Cover 2 you've got slanting WR's behind you but Y's in the Hitch; in C3 Y's in the flat and flaring and leaking RB's; and then screens and draws on top of that.

And btw, you've got contain on sweeps and outside power plays...But don't get kicked out too much on a counter...And watch the reverse and play-action.

So on a broken QB scramble or roll out or Sprint Right Option type plays you basically have no idea what to do. Every decision might be wrong but the worst decision is doing nothing.

Oh and don't forget you're on national TV.

Oh and thanks in advance for making the correct decision in 1.5 seconds.

Well put. That's what makes his time in the film room and studying the playbook so important, not to mention reps after reps after reps on the practice field and in games. Once he has that figured out, his physical talent will shine through. Rootin for the kid!

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I also just heard why we're not as desperate for a DT this cycle as I thought. Diaco is experimenting with "four-DE-style" alignments for "obvious passing downs", and Ishaq at least [and his Dad] seem to think that's going to happen a lot.

Once again: applause, Diaco.

Told you guys. This is only the begining. There is more in store. The breakdown the Irish coaching staff has on other teams tendencies, plus the staff they have, could equal a most impressive defensive season.

Originally Posted by Irish Houstonian

To be honest, I think people misinterpret his apparent discomfort with his position last season.

What I saw was simply a true freshman trying to learn what I would consider the hardest position on defense: the zone coverage OLB in the 3-4. (Dog, Jack, Will or whatever you want to call it).

Think about it: in Cover 2 you've got slanting WR's behind you but Y's in the Hitch; in C3 Y's in the flat and flaring and leaking RB's; and then screens and draws on top of that.

And btw, you've got contain on sweeps and outside power plays...But don't get kicked out too much on a counter...And watch the reverse and play-action.

So on a broken QB scramble or roll out or Sprint Right Option type plays you basically have no idea what to do. Every decision might be wrong but the worst decision is doing nothing.

Oh and don't forget you're on national TV.

Oh and thanks in advance for making the correct decision in 1.5 seconds.ere is more in store, than what was described in this article.

This is the truth. Maybe we expect a little too much from these kids!

 

[TheTurningPoint]

I agree with everything the previous poster had about learning the position. Considering he had never played LB before and still got in the 2 deep when he wasnt banged up is encouraging. I dont think any school in the country wants to have the possibility of 4 first year players playing large amount of time on D (Tuitt, Nix, Lynch, Ishaq) no matter how talented they are. I mean look at Tuitts progression for example. Kid was thinking so much at the start of the year he was behind plays to where he took himself out of the play. But by the end of the year he started to come out of his shell. That is part of the reason I feel we struggled against usc and stanford on that side of the ball. As far as experience and just plain ability to react instead of think and react their Oline's just had that advantage.

As for more of Ishaq, him getting spot PT and learning behind Darius I think is going to be a blessing. Ishaq got a taste of the speed of division 1 ball, and like the article stated he just got caught up with playing vs talent. The entire thing about him re-dedicating himself...ND was never going to lose him to a transfer or Ishaq didnt want to be at ND from what Ive been told. it was more of a wake up call to where he realized that he can be great, but it requires working his *** off to be great. BK and the staff have done a wonderful job of that. I mean how many of us thought Harrison would be a 1st round draft pick 2 years ago, Jonas Gray being virtually unstoppable for a large part of the year, or Eifert being possibly the best TE to come in the last 10 years when there have been an abundance of good TEs leaving ND to the league. BK and the staff is taking the time to get into each individual player and making them realize the situation they are in, and then getting them to EMBRACE the situation. I think that if they have gotten Ishaq to embrace it, then I feel there could be a great 2 year stretch of Ishaq tearing defenses apart. This year I expect to see him start to dig in more to the D, and then his jr/sr year play at the level ND hasnt seen at OLB for quite awhile.