Geneva’s Williams picks NIU
Geneva junior quarterback Matt Williams realized a dream this week, even it was altered slightly from his original version.
Williams committed to Northern Illinois and new football coach Dave Doeren. The multitalented Williams said the scholarship is a dream come true, a dream he said he’s had since he was “about 4 years old.”
The only thing different about that dream is the sport he’ll be playing.
“To be honest all along I thought I’d play baseball,” said Williams, who is 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA on the mound and is hitting .358 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI and 10 stolen bases this spring for the Geneva baseball team.
“When I was little baseball was it. I didn’t play football until seventh grade, but once I did I knew it was it.”
Williams chose Northern Illinois on Monday. He selected the Huskies over Toledo and Western Michigan.
“I felt it was the right decision for me,” Williams said. “It’s a great business program out there and obviously a great football tradition. It just felt right and I still don’t regret it and I’m not going to regret it because I know it’s the place I need to be.”
Williams led Geneva to an 8-3 season in his first year as a starting quarterback this fall. As a sophomore Williams played wide receiver.
Williams completed 96 of 179 passes (53.6 percent) for 1,725 yards, 18 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He ran for 349 yards on 71 carries and 8 touchdowns. His best game came against Streamwood when he hit 10 of 12 passes for 282 yards and 2 scores.
Williams said his involvement with Northern Illinois started a few months ago. He went to a couple of their spring practices and said he liked the fit with the new coaching staff.
“They are very up-tempo and most of them are pretty young and I feel they put a lot of trust in me,” Williams said. “I can’t wait to play for him (Doeren).”
Williams said Northern told him they would recruit two quarterbacks. An athletic quarterback with a strong arm, Williams didn’t hesitate when listing what he needs to work on to succeed at Division I football.
“Decision-making without a doubt,” Williams said. “That’s the big thing I can improve, go to 7-on-7s and try to read defenses better. And it comes with maturity too.
“They told me they want to bring in someone who can play as a freshman so hopefully I can do that. We’ll see what happens.”
Williams becomes the latest Geneva player to make the same college choice as their football coach Rob Wicinski, a linebacker at Northern Illinois. Pat Schiller and Frank Boenzi also have picked the Huskies in recent years.
“Of course he (Wicinski) played there and wants us to go there but he didn’t have that much impact on us,” Williams said. “He did a little bit. But I know it’s a great school and great program and didn’t need him to tell me that. But of course anyone you get feedback from helps.”
Williams’ father is 6-foot-6 and Williams is only 16 years old, two reasons Wicinski called his QB a “puppy” whose best days are still to come.
“Matt is just starting to pop,” Wicinski said. “I feel that NIU got themselves a steal. When the Big Ten teams came through he did not have the initial numbers (height and weight) to interest them. Matt has great arm strength with accuracy, mobility ... deadly combinations. He also brings the ‘it’ factor. The best compliment I can give him is that he is a problem solver. If you have a problem on the field, he will solve it. I think he will do very well at NIU.”
With the decision behind him, Williams can focus on his senior season at Geneva — that is after he gets done playing baseball for the Vikings, who host Lake Park on Friday in a regional semifinal.
“It’s a weight off my back, I can’t even explain it,” Williams said. “I did definitely enjoy it (recruiting) but it’s stressful. You have to go though it and I’m glad I don’t have to worry about it anymore and can worry about our team goals and winning.”