Fargo
As a young athlete in Omaha, Jackson Williams, a freshman at North Dakota State, was a standout baseball player, a pitcher who could throw a 92-mile-per-hour fastball and a center fielder who could catch fly balls. He’s pretty good at those things in football, too.
On Saturday, Williams blocked a high 50-yard punt by Bryce LaFollette of Towson University, evaded a defender with a slide step and from then on it was pure speed. As fast as Christian Watson.
The 67-yard touchdown was a home run, a punch to the Tigers’ guts that gave the Bisons a 41-24 victory at Gate City Bank Field in the Fargodome. The highlight of the punt return: Williams found out shortly before the game that he would be the punt return man.
“I thought, okay, let’s go,” he said.
According to head coach Tim Polasek’s clock, about 13 minutes before kickoff. His baseball skills played a role in his decision. He said chasing a punt was like chasing a fly ball. Williams did it like a seasoned veteran on both occasions, one of which was a fair catch.
“He circled the ball,” Polasek said. “We’ll continue with Jackson.”
He said the only time he saw a player that young get into that situation was in 2010 with Ryan Smith at the University of Kansas.
“He’s never caught a punt that high in a real game,” Polasek said. “As coaches, we want to see proof, and I’ve seen enough proof this week in practice. I’ve seen enough proof in terms of the kid’s demeanor and his approach. He’s an excellent all-around athlete. That’s kind of what you’re looking for, the baseball player who can track the ball.”
Williams’ great return gave NDSU a 17-3 lead and salvaged a botched special teams play by NDSU. As the Bison lined up for a 27-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa, holder Kaedin Steindorf missed the snap on a fake attempt.
He was stopped and the Tigers survived. However, the Bison defense did give Williams an assist by stopping Towson on three plays, turning the tide in this Missouri Valley Football Conference game against the Coastal Athletic Association.
David Samson/The Forum
When these teams played for the 2013 Division I FCS national championship, a blocked field goal and long return by Kyle Emanuel was a key play in NDSU’s 35-7 victory. It wasn’t for a ring or anything, but it was still important for the conference games to come.
Speaking of the game, this weekend honored former NDSU head coach Craig Bohl, who led the Bison to that championship and was inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday. He flipped the coin before the Bison’s game against the Tigers. Bohl received loud applause when he was introduced. There was another standing ovation at halftime.
During Bohl’s tenure, he was able to sign some top-notch players, such as Emanuel from Nebraska. Williams seems to fit into the same category.
The Bison slowly moved him into the role of kickoff returner in the first three games. His punt return performance was something no one outside the team expected.
Braylon Henderson, the reliable senior in that role, is injured and hasn’t played. The Bison have been playing sophomore John Gores, but ball-handling has been an issue. The way Williams has looked, the two may not return to the field in the punt return game.
“I can relate to them, playing as a freshman and the nervousness that comes with that,” said Bison quarterback Cam Miller. “Just the way Jackson dealt with that nervousness.”
It’s one thing to let a player miss like he did, but it’s another to not let the other 10 hit you. Watson was capable of doing that, even when another player had the angle to do it.
NDSU had one such home run threat in Jayden Price, also a standout baseball player who returned five punts for touchdowns in his career, which ended after last season.
“Hearing the roar of the crowd was pretty cool,” Williams said. “The guys up front were able to get me some space and be one-on-one with the punter, I’ll take that any time.”
Chris Flynn / The Forum
Jeff would like to dispel the notion that he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he has been a reporter for Forum Communications for three decades. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked for the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and, since 1990, The Forum, where he has covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough” and “Covid Kids.” He is the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” from April through August.
