Spring Football Practice: For Antwione Williams ‘The Sky's the Limit’

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STATESBORO, Ga. – Senior linebacker Antwione Williams has some big shoes to fill. Luckily, Williams is a very big man.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound native of Lovejoy, Ga., needs to fill the role vacated by Edwin Jackson, who led Georgia Southern in tackles the last two seasons and may wind up playing on Sundays in the very near future.

The physical component of the job should not be an issue for Williams, an All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention selection, who was second on the squad with 66 tackles and led the Eagles with eight tackles for loss in 2014. He tied for the team lead in sacks with three and was tied for second in pass break-ups with four. The intangibles will be equally as important for Williams to master.

"Antwione has really taken an active leadership role, which we need," said Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz. "Edwin Jackson was a great leader for us in the linebacking core, and Antwione has picked up right where he left off."

With the up-tempo offenses and no-huddle looks in college football these days, the Eagle linebackers must be versatile so Georgia Southern can keep the same personnel on the field for a number of plays at a time. Having played some safety in the spring of 2013 helps Williams in that regard. A high football IQ and ability to lead also make Williams an integral part of the Eagle defense in 2015, especially in the pass-happy Sun Belt with plenty of offenses that like to line up with five receivers.

"You have to be able to move, you have to be able to play receivers and you have to be smart," said Williams. "You have a lot of people looking towards you for guidance, especially when it goes fast. You have to get the call, and you have to get people lined up right. For the most part, if we get lined up and play like we do, we're going to be all right. The key to all of it is still to stop the run and make teams one-dimensional."

The Eagles did a pretty good job of that, holding their opponents to 4.3 yards a carry and 153.7 yards per game last year. They excelled at keeping opponents off the scoreboard, allowing a Sun Belt leading 23.4 points a game.

"Our numbers ended up being really good, and we intend on building off of that," said Williams. "We have more experience back and some good recruits coming in."

Fritz has also made takeaways a point of emphasis this spring. The Eagles turnover margin of +0.67 per game led the Sun Belt and ranked 19th in the country. He would certainly like to see that number increase.

"We had 20 takeaways last year, and we'd like to get up to 30," said Fritz, who has emphasized the technique of stripping ball carriers in spring practice.

No doubt that Williams' size and athleticism are key attributes, but the key to his and the Eagles' success will be their ability to consistently improve.

"The sky's the limit for him," said Fritz. "He's a really good athlete and a really smart football player and seems to get better and better every single day."

Georgia Southern practiced for 24 periods on a hot, humid day Wednesday on the banks of Beautiful Eagle Creek. Friday's practice is slated for 3:30 p.m. in the same location.

Remaining Spring Practice Schedule
Friday, April 10 - 3:30 p.m. - Eagle Creek
Saturday, April 11
Monday, April 13
Wednesday, April 15
Friday, April 17
Saturday, April 18 – Spring Game

Season Tickets on Sale Now
Football season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale now, and fans can purchase them as well as parking by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting the ticket office in the Cowart Building adjacent to Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Drive). Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Season tickets and parking can also be purchased at this month's Coaches' Caravan events beginning April 21 in Emanuel County - VISA, MasterCard, AmEx and cash are accepted. The season ticket renewal deadline as well as the parking renewal deadline is April 14, and online sales for new season tickets and new parking begin May 1.

The journey continues for the Georgia Southern football team in year two of FBS play as the Eagles will face two "Power Five" conference teams, four teams that played in bowl games a year ago and will host six home games in the 2015 football season.

The Eagles will host a pair of teams that played in bowl games last season. Western Michigan (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) comes to town for the home opener Sept. 12, and the Eagles welcome South Alabama (Raycom Media Camellia Bowl) Nov. 28.

Texas State, which finished the season bowl eligible with a 7-5 record, will travel to Statesboro for a Thursday night ESPNU national broadcast Oct. 29. The Eagles will close out the 2015 regular season at home against in-state rival Georgia State Dec. 5. The Citadel visits Paulson Stadium Sept. 19, and the Eagles play host to New Mexico State Oct. 17.

Despite six home games in 2015 compared to five in 2014, season ticket prices have stayed the same, and a majority of required annual donations to the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation in order to purchase season tickets remain the same as well.

"Last season was fantastic with attendance, but we need to amp it up even more," said Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz. "It's not just a football game; it's an event when you play at Paulson Stadium with pre-game and everything going on and with Southern Pride and the cheerleaders, the dance team and the game-day presentation. Hopefully, what we did last year will attract even more fans."

Season tickets prices start as low as $75 for all six games, and seats that do not require a donation are available from $135-145 per seat. All season ticket pricing and pricing and donation requirements can be found below.

Important Ticket Dates and Deadlines:
Tuesday, April 14 – Season ticket renewal deadline
Tuesday, April 14 – Parking renewal deadline
Tuesday, April 14 – Spring Game Tailgate Cook-Off registration deadline
Saturday, April 18 – Blue vs. White Spring Game, 1 p.m. kickoff
Monday, August 24 – Single-game sales begin

Second Annual Tailgate Cook-Off Set for Football Spring Game
Register for Tailgate Cook-Off
Do you put on the best tailgate? Do you grill up the best BBQ? Maybe you make a mean peach cobbler? Show Georgia Southern and Eagle Nation your skills at the Second Annual Spring Football Tailgate Cook-Off April 18 at Paulson Stadium. Tasting begins at 11 a.m.

The top-place tailgate and grill masters will claim the title of 2015 Spring Football Tailgate Cook-Off Champion, a one-of-a-kind trophy, a one-night stay at a hotel plus 2 tickets to the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia game in Athens Nov. 21, 2015, and of course, bragging rights. "True Blue Barbecue," Adam Pace and Jared Brown, won the inaugural Tailgate Cook-Off last year.

To enter the contest, a team or individual must register online by April 14 and pay a $20 cash fee per entry on site April 18. All teams or individuals are responsible for providing their own food and equipment for grilling/cooking and will be allowed only one vehicle inside the cook-off zone. Participants are encouraged to grill, cook, steam, etc. their best food for fans to enjoy.

Eagle fans are invited to serve as tasting judges for $3 to enter the tailgate zone, sample the food and complete a ballot to determine the top four. Scores from the tasting judges will be calculated and winners will be announced during the Blue-White Spring Football game. Tasting will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 p.m.

The second-place winner will receive four tickets and two sideline passes to the home football game against Texas State Oct. 29, 2015, on ESPNU. Third place will claim two tickets and two meal vouchers to the home football game against South Alabama Nov. 28, 2015. Fourth place will walk away with an autographed football and Georgia Southern prize pack.

EFAA Raffle
The Eagle Football Alumni Association (EFAA) will be holding its Eighth Annual $10,000 Reverse Raffle & Auction Sat., April 18, at 5 p.m. in the Gene Bishop Field House at Paulson Stadium following the Blue & White Spring Game.

There will be a silent and live auction, which will feature an array of items such as autographed memorabilia, vacation opportunities, once-in-a-lifetime Georgia Southern game experiences, vintage Georgia Southern Football memorabilia, autographed memorabilia from local professional teams and much more. In addition, the Third Edition Erk Russell Commemorative Shotgun will be auctioned off in the live auction. This year's theme for the shotgun is "Yellow School Buses." The final 10 tickets in the reverse raffle will be drawn after the live auction, and the final ticket will win $10,000.

Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Eagle fans can follow Coach Willie Fritz's twitter account @CoachWEFritz. For tickets, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com/tickets.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Edwin Jackson

Antwione Williams