Expectations High for Tim Knicky and Jabara Williams
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 21, 2009
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Over the course of the last season all the way through spring workouts, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack offense received the overwhelming majority of the headlines. There are those that would argue it is supposed to be that way ... "Offense sells tickets, defense win championships!" In defense of the Lumberjack offense, they did set several school, conference and national records last season, but during the offseason, the defense stole the headlines.
There are high expectations being placed on the SFA defense for the 2009 season, and the majority of those expectations are being centered around two key figures, defensive end Tim Knicky and linebacker Jabara Williams. The two standouts both ended the '08 campaign earning first-team All-Southland Conference, and that is when the accolades began pouring in. Knicky collected AP and Sports Network All-America honors, and both Knicky and Williams have been placed on numerous preseason All-America teams.
Williams has been recognized across the country as one of the top linebackers in the nation. The 6-3 Garrison, Texas, native, enters the year as a first-team Preseason All-America selection according to Consensus Draft Services (CDS), the Sports Network and Phil Steele's Magazine. In addition to that, Williams was one of only 20 players named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List. The Buchanan Award is given annually to the top defensive player at the NCAA Division I FCS level.
Knicky enters the year having been named to Phil Steele's Magazine and CDS Preseason Second-Team All-America squads. Despite those accolades, Knicky was also named to the 2009 CDS All-Underappreciated Team.
"Those two guys will be the first to tell you that preseason honors don't mean much," said SFA defensive coordinator David Gibbs. "But what it gives them is a certain amount of leadership with their teammates. Since they've been through the battles, their teammates, especially the younger guys, will listen when they speak."
Every savvy sports fan knows that preseason honors are meaningless until defended during the season. In the case of these two Lumberjacks, I believe the honors are well merited. Williams is coming off a season that saw him lead the Southland Conference in total tackles (132), and finish the year among the nation's top 10 in tackles per game. Knicky finished the year with 76 total stops, and was among the nations' top 10 in sacks and tackles for losses.
Knicky, Williams and the SFA `D' begin the defense of these preseason honors Saturday, Sept. 5, when they travel to Dallas, Texas to open the season at SMU. The game against the Mustangs is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from Ford Stadium.
-SFA-
