South Carolina's Williamson on the rise

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Right before NFL scouts and coaches broke for the day at South Carolina&#39;s indoor practice facility last month, they cleared the field and called for one more speed drill from Troy Williamson.<br> <br> The one-time track prospect smiled and obliged.<br> <br> Williamson hadn&#39;t even thought much about football until his junior year at Silver Bluff High School. But in five seasons, he has turned himself to one of the best receiving prospects in Saturday&#39;s NFL draft.<br> <br> It&#39;s Williamson&#39;s speed he was clocked at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash and work ethic that moved him up to a likely high selection and the first player with South Carolina ties expected to go.<br> <br> ``I&#39;ve got to be ready to play and do my part,&#39;&#39; said Williamson, the Gamecocks receiver who is giving up his final season and the chance to catch passes for new South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.<br> <br> The decision looks better every day. Some mock drafts have Williamson going as high as No. 12 to San Diego. Most have him locked into the first round as the next receiver after Michigan&#39;s Braylon Edwards and Southern Cal&#39;s Mike Williams.<br> <br> One NFL general manager, St. Louis&#39; Charley Armey, called Williamson the best player in the draft. ``Nobody can cover him,&#39;&#39; he said this week.<br> <br> All this for someone who caught only 91 passes and 13 touchdowns in college. Still, Williamson has shown enough to interest NFL teams, several who have flown him in for pre-draft visits.<br> <br> ``The thing right here, you&#39;ve got to pace yourself and then prepare for draft day to come,&#39;&#39; Williamson said. ``Because when draft day comes, it&#39;s time to get back to work.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Williamson has never been afraid of hard work to achieve his goals.<br> <br> He was a speedy star at Silver Bluff High near Aiken where he won two state track championships apiece in the 100 and 200 meters. Once convinced to try football, Williamson became an all-state player at running back and receiver. He chose to stay in the Palmetto State and turn down offers from Clemson and Tennessee despite the more conservative attack of coach Lou Holtz.<br> <br> Williamson led the Gamecocks in receptions and touchdown catches his final two years. Although those totals of 71 receptions for 1,263 yards and nine touchdowns might not have matched what he could&#39;ve gotten this coming season with Spurrier in control.<br> <br> ``Of course, that&#39;s something you consider,&#39;&#39; Williamson said. ``But you&#39;ve got to look at yourself and your goals and the stuff you want to accomplish.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> There were moments where Williamson&#39;s talent and smarts shone through. Two seasons ago, Williamson cut past two Virginia defenders after catching a quick slant and took it 99 yards for a touchdown, the longest pass reception in South Carolina history.<br> <br> This year, Williamson caught late, game-winning touchdowns at Kentucky and against Arkansas to help the Gamecocks qualify for the postseason, although the bowl chance disappeared because of a massive fight in the season-ender at Clemson last November.<br> <br> That was it for Williamson. He had thought about the NFL since his first college season and was ready to move.<br> <br> Williamson&#39;s former high school coach, Al Lown, said along with the receiver&#39;s speed comes a toughness to succeed. ``I think the NFL recognizes that,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Williamson&#39;s agent, Florida-based David Canter, compares the wideout to Baltimore Ravens&#39; Travis Taylor, whose stock rose leading up to the 2000 draft where he was selected 10th overall.<br> <br> Williamson already has gotten a dose of the NFL life. He has trained in Miami with fellow South Carolina players Rod Wilson, Andrea Gause and Jason Capers. ``Those people are there pushing me,&#39;&#39; Williamson says, ``making me the kind of person I am now.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Miami, with its flashy nightlife and throngs of people, was vastly different for Williamson than Jackson, the small town of fewer than 1,700 where he&#39;s from.<br> <br> ``More traffic, a lot of different stuff,&#39;&#39; Williamson said. But since he&#39;s likely to wind up in a larger city once he&#39;s drafted, ``you got to get used to it,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> He&#39;s expecting to watch the draft at his South Carolina home. ``However many people want to come, that&#39;s how many people are going to be there,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> No doubt, all of them will expect Williamson to become an NFL star and like always do it quickly.<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)