Player Primer: JaQuere Williams
Neuqua Valley Cornberack JaQuere Williams (LPI #22 DB) and I talk Junior Olympics, 7on7 with BOOM, Next Level Athletix training and his recruitment process.
JaQuere Williams
Neuqua Valley
Naperville, IL
Wt: 165 lbs
Class: 2017
Commitment status: Undecided
LPI: What have you been doing to get ready for next season so you can improve?
JW: I’ve been camping a lot, playing in 7on7’s, and every Sunday I train with Greg Holcomb with Next Level Athletix in Elmhurst. I’ve also been working hard on my speed to get my 40 time down as well.
I’m also very lucky to have a father who played college football. Whether it be mentally or physically my dad is always helping me prepare for the season.
LPI: Where have you camped/showcased at this summer?
JW: So far I have camped at Valpo, Illinois, Illinois State, North Dakota State invite only camp, Lake Forest satellite camp and the COD satellite camp.
LPI: Which camps do you think you stood out the most at and why?
JW: Personally, I think they all went really well. All the camps were great experiences getting to know the college coaches and building a relationship with them. Since I’m only choosing one, North Dakota State was definitely my best camp. I really think I stood out from the rest of the DBs at that camp. I feel like that camp awoken me. I just got in a zone there and I could feel that my opponents were afraid to go up against me.
LPI: Were you on any 7on7 teams this summer? If so, how did it go for you?
JW: I played for BOOM 7on7. We were fortunate enough to travel to Tennessee State and Las Vegas for tournaments. It was a great experience playing competition from all over and I feel as if those were very beneficial.
I had the opportunity to play in some other very big 7on7 tournaments, but my 4×200 meter track team at Neuqua Valley qualified for state so I didn’t want to let my teammates down. The state meet ended up very well for us because we won the 4×200 relay and set the school record for that event in the process.
LPI: Speaking of you being fast, I saw that you qualified for a junior Olympics team. Can you elaborate more on that?
JW: I qualified for track and field AAU junior olympics. It is a big stage where people come from all over the country to compete. I’ve been fortunate enough to compete in it a few times and it has been a very beneficial experience for me. The events that I compete in (and personal bests) are the 100 (10.9) 200 (22.5) and 400 (48.9). I’m also planning on running track in college as well.
LPI: What schools have you been in contact with recently and which schools have shown the most interest in you?
JW: I’ve been contacting Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Illinois State, Wisconsin, North Dakota State and a lot with coach Mallory at Wyoming. Coach Mallory from Wyoming called me and personally offered me a scholarship. I was beyond excited to hear that news.
LPI: Visits, where have you visited most recently and do you have any visits coming up?
JW: I have visited North Dakota State recently. I’m also planning on going up to visit North Dakota and Wyoming in the near future.
LPI: Where have you received offers from and what is your dream school?
JW: Wyoming and North Dakota have offered me. My dream school would be Arizona.
LPI: Describe what it felt like getting your first offer.
JW: I was relaxing in my hotel room after I camped at North Dakota State when I got a call from my coach. My coach informed me that Wyoming had offered me my first full ride. I can’t even tell you how happy I was in that moment. It was a dream come true and I nearly cried when I heard the news.
LPI: Your team finished finished last year at 6-3, but fell to Waubonsie Valley in the 2nd round of the playoffs. What are your individual and team goals for the upcoming season?
JW: Our coaches makes it really simple: we take it day by day, we compete, we compete and we compete some more. When game day comes around we compete our butts off and leave everything on the field to get that win. Our main goal as a team this year is to compete for a conference title in the DuPage Valley Conference.
My individual goals are to lower my combine drill times such as my 40 time, shuttle time, 3 cone time. Setting individual goals is very important, but competing for my team is much more important to me as I just want to give it everything I’ve got.
LPI: What are your greatest strengths or why should a school offer you?
JW: Besides my speed I am very determined. I’m always getting done what has to be done. I’ve been doubted since I was youngster with people telling me I wasn’t good enough so now I play with a big chip on my shoulder. I’m grateful to have the opportunity get out there compete, compete and compete and strive for greatness so I can be the best athlete I can be.