SVSU student-athlete Heath Williams has been named the GLIAC Defensive Lineman of 2019.
Williams is a senior defensive who has racked up 38 tackles in his career, five of which came in the form of sacks, and totaling 7.5 tackles-for-loss. Williams is ranked as the third in SVSU history with 22.5 tackles in a single season and 13 sacks collected during his junior campaign and 39.5 tackles-for-loss in his career. As an East Lansing native, he gathered up 135 career tackles.
Williams is SVSU’s second GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the year, following the 1999 NFL first round draft pick Lamar King in his 1998 season.
Dedication and perfecting the craft is how Williams describes the journey it took to achieve the success that he has.
“First and foremost, my teammates on the defensive line are a major role in winning this award,” he said. “Those guys put me in the position of success. They are the reason I had a decent career at Saginaw Valley. I gave my all for them.”
Williams said Josh Miller, Joe Perri and Isiah Dunning helped him achieve this recognition. Head football coach Ryan Brady said Williams is a “workout warrior.”
“Heath is a relentless worker, always giving his best, never missing a workout and always a team-first guy,” he said. “When the season arrived, Heath always prepared every day like it was his last. Heath’s process of always pursuing the very best that is in him served him well in achieving such an award.”
Williams said he had two approaches to chose from to start each practice.
“First is the approach to getting better,” he said. “So, in terms of football, it’s watching countless hours of film, never cheating yourself and attacking the weight room. Second is the approach of getting worse. I’ve always strived each day to get better, and that method has brought me to where I am today.”
Williams said his advice for other student-athletes is to never cheat themselves.
“Outcomes are determined by what you put into it,” he said. “Also, treat every day like it’s your last day because you won’t get the time back. Living with regrets is not fun. Enjoy the moment and smile.”
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