By ROBERT CESSNA
Texas A&M All-American Von Miller could add to the school's trophy case this fall, but the Aggies have another linebacker with similar aspirations.
Junior Garrick Williams has settled into one of the inside spots in the team's new 3-4 alignment and proved a disruptive force throughout training camp. The 6-foot-2, 234-pounder made plays blitzing, against the run or with interceptions in coverage.
"Garrick Williams has shown up as a pretty dominant player," said head coach Mike Sherman, who wasn't surprised.
Williams had a solid season last year in the shadow of Miller, finishing with 74 tackles (8 1/2 for losses) to earn All-Big 12 honorable mention. He did that at outside linebacker, but first-year defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter moved Williams inside.
He had a solid spring camp and ended it with several tackles and a couple deflected passes in the Maroon & White Game.
"I think Garrick is going to be a surprise guy when we start the season," Sherman said at the time. "I think he has a chance to be pretty dang good and maybe one of the better linebackers we've had since Dat Nguyen, his coach. I'm excited to watch Garrick Williams."
Williams didn't get to see Nguyen play, but he's reminded of what the All-American did for the Wrecking Crew daily.
"I walk past his trophy case about every day," Williams said. "Every other day, I look [at Nguyen's stats], 147 tackles, 146 tackles, that's a goal for me. His standards were so high. I have to set my standards high."
Williams already has exceeded many peoples' expectations. A&M signed the wide receiver who was a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. He was that other player from DeSoto when Miller was one of the team's four four-star recruits.
Miller admits that Williams is the Aggie you don't want to be hit by.
"That's my opinion," Miller said. "Of course I'm going to be biased. That's my brother from my high school. He's the hardest hitter on our defense. He's come a very long way. He played wide receiver in high school and never hit anybody. Now he's really out there busting heads."
Williams said the key has been using his head.
"I think it all started back in spring, just taking one step at a time," he said. "I've made some strides, but I still have room to improve."
The best decision Williams made was switching sides of the ball.
"It's really just a mindset," he said. "At first, I just made that decision -- I'm a linebacker. I just put myself in a position where I can get better every day. After every practice, I go watch film and work on what I need to. Then I can come out here and put it in, and we can go from there."
Williams has helped what was the defense's biggest concern over the offseason -- the front seven. Sophomore Kyle Mangan and senior Michael Hodges, who is fully healthy after knee surgery before last season, also had good fall camps.
"Coach Nguyen says the inside linebackers have to set the tone, because we're the center point of the defense," Williams said. "Everything starts with us."
The hitting might start when Williams arrives, but he knows the action starts with the linemen led by senior Lucas Patterson and junior Tony Jerod-Eddie.
"I think our front three are fanatical," Williams said. "I'm nothing without my three D-linemen, because basically they take up all the big uglies on the front. I just gotta make the play."
He's done that regularly, becoming the team's fiercest hitter.
"Everybody thinks it's me, but I'm not going to say myself," he laughed, adding that it could be Hodges.
He'd just like to see his name in a trophy case like his coach's.
"That could be me one day," Williams said. "But I have to keep myself humble and work hard every day and just stay focused."
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NOTES -- A&M senior outside linebacker Von Miller received his second preseason All-America honor of the week when Sports Illustrated named him to its squad Wednesday. Miller also has been named preseason All-American by Playboy and CBSSports.com, named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the league head coaches and named to watch lists for the Lombardi, Bednarik and Butkus Awards and the Nagurski Trophy. ... A&M's Association of Former Students will host the State Farm Aggie Tailgate each week for home football games. The 7,000-square-foot, floored, climate-controlled tent adjacent to Spence Park will be open to everyone with free admission.
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