Call Andre Williams a product of his environment. He’s worldly beyond his 22 years, way beyond.
The former Parkland High School star who is entering his second season with the New York Giants has a vision that extends well beyond the gridiron. Always has.
There’s a reason.
Speaking just after Wednesday’s organized team activity practice concluded at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, the young, powerful running back was candid.
“I had to grow up fast, moving around so much and being exposed to a lot of different cultures and kinds of people,” said Williams, born to Jamaican immigrants in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., prime Giants territory. “Being on my own a lot, I spent a lot of time by myself in my head, just thinking what it is that I wanted out of life. I guess that’s really contributed to where I am now.”
To get a feeling of just where he is now, it’s easier to think of where he isn’t.
Williams is everywhere.
He’s coming off a rookie season in which he led the team in rushing yards (721) and rushing touchdowns (7). He’s on the verge of patenting and marketing a line of protective athletic wear in addition to a clothing and accessory line. He’s making progress on writing his first book. He’s an emerging force in the passing game after failing to catch a single pass in his senior season at Boston College.
And perhaps most important, he’s respected as could be in the locker room.
“He’s a sharp kid,” quarterback Eli Manning said. “He’s got his priorities in order, works hard on his football and understanding what he needs to do. I love the way he prepares and practices and plays the game, and I’ve been impressed with him since Day 1.
“He’s a good kid, nice guy and fun to be around.”
On the other side of the locker room, guard Justin Pugh, a Council Rock South graduate, provided similar praise.
“He’s an interesting cat,” Pugh said. “He’s definitely not your average guy. I think that’s a great thing. I think he thinks deeply about things. [Running back] Rashad Jennings is kind of the same way. They’re just unique. They do things their own way. They don’t follow the path. And I think that’s good when you have guys with different perspectives in your circle because they’re going to do good things for us.”
But when the whistle blows, Williams does follow the path, which is ultimately why he’s gained so much respect so quickly.
“When he steps on that field,” Pugh said, “he’s not writing books or coming up with patents. He’s running people over, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Williams was a Heisman Trophy finalist after rushing for 2,177 yards at Boston College in 2013. Yet he slipped to the fourth round of the NFL Draft largely because of a one-dimensional label he’s been working diligently to shed.
He caught 18 passes as a rookie and believes he will be much more involved in the passing game now that he’s earned the trust of Manning and the coaches.
“That’s how the offense works,” Williams said. “Coaches can see that’s been something I’ve been working on and improving on. I feel more comfortable catching the ball. Now that they know I can do it, they’re going to expect me to do it and I’ll expect myself to do it.”
What Williams and everyone in the organization are most excited about is the offensive weapons Manning will have to work with this season, following a year of growing pains under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
McAdoo, at 37, is just three years older than Manning.
Meanwhile, it seems like Williams is older than McAdoo, given all the thought behind the products he’s about to launch. The protective garment for shoulders is probably his proudest accomplishment.
“It’s an elastomeric joint-stabilizing device housed in compression material,” he said. “There will be compression material, elastomeric bands and then plastic and leather activators, which are the lock-and-release mechanisms for the bands.”
For Williams, the idea was borne of necessity.
“I came up with it because in college I had shoulder issues … and I was at the point where I said ‘I’ve made it this far but I’m going to need to do something to facilitate my run style.'”
That focus on the future has not taken away from Williams’ enjoyment of the present, however.
“I guess we can call it destiny that I was meant to be here,” he said. “I was born in Poughkeepsie, grew up in New Jersey, spent a couple years down South, spent a couple years in Pennsylvania, went to BC, met my wife at BC. Her family is from Connecticut, my family is in Pennsylvania. So I’m smack dab in the middle of where I need to be.
“So I’m very happy to be here and I hope this is the place I retire. I really don’t need to be anywhere else.”
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