Former East Oktibbeha Titan Named MACJC Player of the Week

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/NEMCC Athletics) – A promising newcomer to the Northeast Mississippi Community College football program has been recognized for the best performance of his freshman season to date.

Justin Williams was tabbed as the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) Defensive Player of the Week for games contested October 2-4.

(NEMCC Athletics)

“Justin is going to keep getting better and stronger,” said Tigers head coach Ricky Smither. “He’s an old-school guy that plays hard. I’ve never seen a kid with so much passion for the game. You can actually hear him on the field laughing and having a good time.”

Williams led a dominant Northeast defense that held host Mississippi Delta Community College to only 14 points, which was the lowest total score of any opponent for the Tigers so far this year.

He recorded a career-high 13 tackles against the Trojans and single handedly shifted the momentum in the opening quarter. Williams thwarted Mississippi Delta’s second possession that moved deep in Northeast territory by chasing down quarterback Devin Adams for a loss of 20 yards after a bad snap sailed over his head.

Williams also made back-to-back outstanding plays on the Trojans’ ensuing drive. He stopped Adams for his lone sack of the evening on a first-down effort and then halted running back Quadre Butler in the backfield to force a punting situation.

The 6-1, 275-pounder made a pair of tackles that resulted in either lost yardage or no gain for Mississippi Delta in the second half as well. Williams tallied 3.5 tackles for loss, which was a personal best at the collegiate level, and one pass break up versus the Trojans.

“It’s a privilege to win this award. I just give it up to God,” Williams said. “I’m making progress and I owe that to coach Smither and coach (Kenny) Jackson for doing a good job. They keep pushing us to make us do better.”

Williams is second among all linemen in the MACJC with 38 takedowns through six outings. He trails Southwest Mississippi Community College’s Omarius Bryant by only three tackles.

The East Oktibbeha High School product moved into the starting lineup at defensive tackle during the Tigers’ battle with Coahoma Community College on September 27. Williams notched eight tackles to help Northeast win its annual homecoming date for the second straight campaign.

He is currently second on the team with 21 solo stops and 2.5 sacks. Williams is also fourth with 5.5 tackles for a loss of 51 yards.

Williams is now eligible for honors by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), which announces its countrywide accolades on Wednesday.