Idaho State Athletics
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Rasheed Williams couldn’t have asked for a better freshman season in 2015. The Bengal defensive lineman had 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Against Boise State the 17-year old freshman had two tackles for loss and one sack.
Since that freshman season Williams has battled in injuries. He missed the 2016 and appeared in every game in 2017. Williams once again missed the entire 2018 season and the first half of the 2019 season.
Despite the setbacks, Williams has come back stronger in 2020. Although there will be no football season this fall, Williams and the Bengals have their eyes set on the spring of 2021.
“I am pumped,” William said. “I am ready to go and locked in. I haven’t felt this healthy since 2015. I am ready to get after it.”
In 2016 Williams broke his foot in fall camp and missed the entire season.
“I was only down for two months,” Williams said. “It wasn’t too bad getting back.”
The most challenging injury for the Bengal defensive lineman came in 2018.
“Mentally it was rough,” he said. “I dealt with depression and a lot of mental battles. I spent a lot of time in isolation trying to grow myself again. I felt like I was in a hole for a period of time. I just kept my motivation of Gods Plan for me and I was able to get out of that back to where I am today.”
Getting to this point in his career has taken time but he has a good support system along the way.
“I trust in the process and understand that God has a plan for me, Williams said. “At the end of the day I didn’t get here for no reason. My family and passion for it is the main thing that has kept me going through out all these years.”
Because of Williams resilience, he was selected by his former teammate Kody Graves to wear 25 this season. The wearing of No. 25 is in honor of Marcus Jackson of was paralyzed while making a tackle vs. Montana Western in 1996. Each year the player who was No. 25 gets to pick a returning player who exemplifies the characteristics of Jackson.
“I chose Rasheed because he is someone who understands the importance of every step of the process,” Graves said. “He is a quiet dude who keeps to himself but will lead by example. He moved into our linebacker room last year and being with him in the film room and out on the practice field, he really gave me extra motivation.”
Graves added that Williams perseverance and not souring toward life has put him in the position to succeed now.
“He is now going into his sixth year and there is no one who takes more advantage of practice reps and film study like he does,” Graves said. “I feel that there are only a handful of players that get to a point in their career where they truly recognize the importance of every rep you take in practice. Rasheed is one of those guys and all the adversity he has faced has been him into this kind of dude and he will be back stronger than he ever was. I can promise you that.”
When Williams learned he was selected to wear 25 he overwhelmed with emotion.
“It means everything,” William said. “It is tradition behind this number. One of my close friends and teammates, Kody Graves, we came in together. He texted me and told me would be passing this number on to me. Tears came to my eyes. I couldn’t be more grateful and honored to wear this number.”
Williams graduated with his bachelors in public health last spring and this upcoming fall he will graduate with a masters in athletic administration.
Williams would like to get into coaching back in California coaching youth camps, high school and working his way into the college ranks.
Williams said that when his days in Pocatello come to an end that will be, “leaving here I am mentally tough and physically stronger. Everything I have dealt with here has prepared me to go out into the real world and attack and make a name for myself. It has prepared me beyond football. When my playing career ends I am ready to take the next step in life.”
