"Swamp Monster" a force in the middle

By Brian Bailey
©2014 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.

Shane Carden is “The Captain.”

Justin Hardy goes by “Deuce.”

Breon Allen is “Fun Size.”

Those nicknames can’t compare with the moniker Terry Williams goes by. The 6-1, 353-pound Williams is nicknamed “The Swamp Monster.”

"I feel like it's a dominant force in the middle," Williams told me as I interviewed him for the Pirate Profile segment of the Ruffin McNeill Show. “That's the main thing to me, to just be a dominant force, stopping the run and affecting the pass.”

Williams has helped to solidify a unit that really struggled just two and a half seasons ago. Rick Smith came in as defensive coordinator and joined forces with the position coaches already in place and things began to turn around.

All of the coaches will tell you that it all starts up front.

Williams knows he’s just a part of the plan. It’s a tough part, as he faces double and triple teams on almost every play.

“I know one of the toughest things as a nose guard is getting double- and triple-teamed almost every play,” said Williams. “You know I'm the type of guy, I like my other players to make plays, too, so if I can help them out in making plays, too, then I'm fine with it as long as we're winning.”

Williams and the ECU defense threw a shutout in the second half over the weekend against South Florida. The unit gave the offense enough time to get cranked up. It all equaled out to a fifth Pirate win of the season.

Williams recognizes this ECU football team is in a great position, if the team can stay focused on the task at hand.

“Yeah, we know,” said Williams. “I try to tell my teammates every day, stay humble, you know? Coach Ruff, he tells everybody, to drown out the noise. You know we're still playing; we're still fighting to get the conference championship. So, we're just trying to go 1-0 every week. That's the goal.”

Going 1-0 every week would put this team in a major bowl game for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.

There are still pitfalls at every turn. The Pirates will get every team’s best as they continue to rise in the national rankings.

Williams just hopes to enjoy the ride. He especially enjoys praise from the national outlets like ESPN and CBS College Sports.

"It's a blessing, you know,” said Williams. “As a little kid, this is what I dreamed of. You know, playing college football, being noticed, and just showing the world what I can do. So, it's a blessing."

Williams hopes the blessings continue. The Pirates will have a few extra days to take care of the bumps and bruises before hosting that Thursday night game with Connecticut.

“We are looking forward to it,” said Williams. “Thursday night football should be a lot of fun!”

And the Huskies better figure out a way to control the “Swamp Monster.”

BB

E-mail Brian Bailey.