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Rams' Williams making up for lost time

After a year away from his 鈥榝irst love鈥 Malcolm Williams is back making an impact on the football field for the 91原创 Rams
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91原创 Rams receiver Malcolm Williams (#81) caught five passes during his team鈥檚 34-3 victory over the Okanagan Sun on Saturday at McLeod Park, including his seventh touchdown of the season. Williams returned to the gridiron after sitting out last season.

Malcolm Williams is a happy guy.

Spending a few minutes with him before practice, and he has an ever present cheek-to-cheek grin.

鈥淗e has fun every day,鈥 said 91原创 Rams coach Jeff Alamolhoda.

鈥淵ou never see Malcolm without a smile on his face.鈥

About the only people not smiling when it comes to Williams are the defensive backs who have to line up opposite the six-foot-three wide receiver during the B.C. Junior Football Conference season.

Since getting into the Rams line-up in week two, Williams has been sensational, catching seven touchdown passes and racking up nearly 300 yards receiving.

Not surprisingly, 91原创 is off to a 3-0-1 start to the season after Saturday鈥檚 34-3 win over the Okanagan Sun (see side story).

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know (the secret),鈥 Williams said with a laugh.

鈥淓verybody is asking me lately and I don鈥檛 know what to give them as an answer.

鈥淛ust running hard and trying to make every play I can for my team,鈥 he offered.

The 19-year-old from Maple Ridge ended up with the Rams after taking last year off football.

Recruited out of Pitt Meadows Secondary, where he excelled in both football and basketball, he chose to play the latter with the UBC Thunderbirds.

It marked the first time since he was seven years old that he was not on the football field.

鈥淣ot playing was tough,鈥 he admitted about being away from the gridiron, although he watched as much UBC football as he could.

鈥淚t was hard but I had my hands full with basketball.鈥

As a guard on the Thunderbirds team, Williams averaged 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in just over 20 minutes of action per game.

However, struggles in the classroom took their toll.

鈥淭he school part didn鈥檛 go so great for me,鈥 he said, adding that he is attending classes at Langara College to upgrade some of his marks.

With no basketball team to play for, Williams returned to the sport he calls his 鈥渇irst love.鈥

He arrived at tryouts for the Rams with little fan fare.

鈥淗e contacted us,鈥 Alamolhoda said.

鈥(Malcolm) has taken his opportunity and ran with it. He came into our program as a non-starter and worked his way into the starting line-up.

鈥淎nd for someone as talented as he is, you would think he would have an attitude or something that he wasn鈥檛 starting right away.鈥

鈥淏ut he just worked real hard, earned his spot, his starting role, and when he got on the field for the first time, he wouldn鈥檛 let us take him off.鈥

Williams is tied for the league lead with seven touchdowns and leads in points with 44 鈥 courtesy of a two-point convert attempt he caught in week two.

He is tied for second in receptions with 16 and third in yards with 298.

What makes Williams tough to defend is the combination of his size and athleticism.

鈥淚 like the fact I am a little taller than most DBs; I like to use my height to my advantage,鈥 Williams said.

鈥淭ry to use some of my rebounding skills from basketball against some of the smaller DBs.鈥

Alamolhoda said Williams presents a 鈥榗atching radius鈥 and the quarterback can throw the ball to where only his receiver can make the play.

鈥淗is body control is outstanding; he knows how to use his body in space and with other people around him,鈥 said Alamolhoda.

鈥淗e knows how to use his body in space and with other people around him.

鈥淥bviously our quarterback likes the way he has an outlet like that (to use).鈥



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