How walk-on CB Amaun Williams energetic approach has made him a consistent playmaker -

MADISON, Wis. — Quarterback Deacon Hill uncorked a play-action pass deep down the sideline intended for wide receiver Markus Allen during the final day of Wisconsin’s spring practices. Seconds later, the ball landed in the hands of a young walk-on cornerback who had perfectly read the play and was running the other way, through a crowd of players watching from behind the snap on the field and screaming as he dashed to the end zone.

It was the unmistakable yell of Amaun Williams, whose loud and energetic approach to practices has helped him to stand out from the crowd in his two seasons with the Badgers’ program. Williams, who will be a redshirt sophomore next season, isn’t shy about letting everyone know when he has come up with a pick, a pass deflection or a big hit. Over the course of 15 spring practices, those plays came with more frequency than ever before, giving Williams plenty of confidence while impressing coaches along the way.

Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said in the middle of the spring that Williams “has probably been one of the most consistent playmakers on defense.” Cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat said Williams “continues to play well and make plays. He’s actually leading the room in takeaways.”

And when the takeaways occur, Williams takes center stage.

“I just feel like the more and more I make plays, the happier and happier I get,” Williams said. “Like the more and more I fall in love with the game. So when you do exciting things in something you love, it’s like, ‘Damn, everybody’s got to see it.’ It’s just a thing you’re encouraged to do. I don’t know how to explain it. Just energy. You know you’ve got to bring that energy.”

Williams picked off three passes during practices that were open to reporters. On April 5, backup quarterback Chase Wolf threw too far out in front for receiver Dean Engram, and Williams made him pay by intercepting the pass. On April 14, Williams intercepted a Wolf pass intended for receiver Stephan Bracey in the end zone. The final pick came on Hill’s deep ball for Allen. Williams also broke up several passes and found himself around the ball near the line of scrimmage, as he did when he stuffed a pass in the left flat to Engram and a run from tailback Grover Bortolotti.

“You notice him,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. “He puts himself in position to be noticed. He loves playing. There’s a guy that’s worked through a ton. He’s worked through all the different things to put himself in this position and continues to work at it and certainly does bring a great energy to it. There’s a guy that shows up and I think he loves to compete. It does rub off on guys, and I’m grateful for the way he approaches it.”

None of those moments guarantee Williams a role on defense next season. But they do help demonstrate why Williams is among the next tier of cornerbacks behind the top group as he fights to earn his way into the rotation. The good news for Williams is that Leonhard and Poteat utilize multiple corners throughout a season or even a game. Last season, nine cornerbacks appeared in a game — including Williams for 10 snaps against Eastern Michigan — and five corners played at least 63 snaps.

Poteat said during the spring that he asked each of his players to list who they believed were the top five corners on the team based off practice performance. Alexander Smith and transfers Jay Shaw, Justin Clark and Cedrick Dort Jr. were mentioned most often. As for the fifth?

Clark wouldn’t divulge his list but named Ricardo Hallman and Williams as players that had impressed, noting Williams was “real hungry” and that “every day, he puts in work.” Smith cited Hallman and Williams as well.

“Those two guys right now are playing real good ball, some of the best ball they’ve played since they’ve been here and improving every day,” Smith said.

Williams transitioned during the spring from being a cornerback who regularly lined up on the outside into a nickel cornerback who lines up against a receiver in the slot, where Poteat believes Williams’ skill set translates best. Clark emerged as the top nickel corner out of the spring, but Williams earned plenty of opportunities with the reserves.

The 5-foot-10 and 180-pound Williams called the move easy because he played safety in high school and described playing in the slot as a mixture of both safety and cornerback. To prepare for the reps he would earn in the spring, he worked on his footwork and technique with former Badgers cornerback Rachad Wildgoose at Per4orm, a training facility in Davie, Fla. Wildgoose, a Miami native, is a cornerback for the New York Jets.

Williams said one of the highlights was being introduced to Dalvin Cook, the Minnesota Vikings running back and Miami native, who was among those working out at the facility. Williams credited both Wildgoose and former Badgers cornerback Faion Hicks for being his mentors, noting that Hicks watched spring practice film and offered Williams pointers.

“He surprised me with it,” Williams said. “One day the first week he called me, like, ‘Oh, you had a good practice.’ I’m like, ‘Dang, you’re watching film?’ He even knows about the new plays we put in. So that shows how he’s still dedicated to the program. That’s something you need is having older guys that you know are going to still watch you and still look back. There’s things that he did that I need to accomplish for him, too. I feel like that’s the role I’ve got to take.”

Williams arrived at Wisconsin having made quite an impression during his high school football career at Milwaukee Riverside. He was a three-time all-conference selection at defensive back and a two-time Milwaukee City Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Williams earned first-team all-state honors from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association as a junior and as a senior and won the Jim Leonhard Award as the state of Wisconsin’s top senior defensive back in 2019. Over his final two seasons, he tallied 80 tackles with 12 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns as a junior.

Williams had scholarship offers from smaller schools such as Augustana, Bemidji State, Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota State-Mankato, Minnesota-Duluth and Southwest Minnesota State. He also earned a scholarship offer from FCS school Eastern Illinois but chose the walk-on opportunity at Wisconsin. The chance to work with Leonhard, a former in-state walk-on safety who became a three-time All-American two decades ago and still is tied for the program record with 21 interceptions, played a key role.

“He’s a ballhawk,” Williams said. “I’m a ballhawk. We’re just playing different positions. I feel like it’s a huge connection with him. But only time will tell if I could be as good as he was.”

Of course, Williams still has work to do to gain the consistency he needs to earn playing time. He dropped an interception when Wolf telegraphed a throw for Allen during one practice. In another, he was flagged for pass interference on Allen in the end zone off a Wolf pass. Two plays later, Allen caught a touchdown with Williams defending and flipped the ball at Williams as he celebrated. Williams also found himself on the wrong end of a hurdle 20 yards down the field from running back Julius Davis. Not surprisingly, members of the offense seem to relish giving some smack talk back to Williams.

“I know when they make a play, they’re going to come tell me about it,” Williams said. “So I know when I make a play, I’ve got to let them boys know, too. I think the competition we have here, it makes us all better.”

Williams acknowledged that the competition in the cornerback room “has definitely shot up” compared to last season, particularly because of the three transfer additions and the development of younger players. He said watching a player like Hallman have a good day pushed Williams to want to be better, in part because Hallman was one grade younger than him. Williams was asked how he stayed positive when Poteat brought in three experienced transfers to play next season.

“Coach Po describes it as being a dog,” Williams said. “If you’re a dog, people are going to notice you. In high school, we were the Riverside Tigers. But we called ourselves Dog Pound because people noticed us. They noticed the guys on the field. They noticed we were dogs, like we’re going to go out and show it no matter who’s there and who’s not there.

“So I feel like no matter who comes in and who’s not here, I’m still going to be able to show I’m a dog. And people are going to see that I can play ball based on what I do on the field. So I really had no worries or anything. I just know I’ve got to prove myself, and that’s something we do every day. So I’ve got a chip on my shoulder.”

Williams said he already has a list of areas he wants to improve after compiling a self-review of his play this spring. He plans on watching as much football as possible to obtain a better understanding of how to position himself for success in the slot, recognize formations, play faster and be smarter. The hope is that more time behind the scenes will lead to more impressive plays on the practice field and a better chance to play next season.

“All my coaches tell me they notice me playing good,” Williams said. “But I feel like I can do more. Every day, I feel like it’s more I can do because I’m not the greatest. They’re saying I’m good compared to the guys here, but I want to be good compared to the guys in the world. So that’s where I’ve got to get to.”

(Top photo: Dan Sanger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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