Nathan Williams Website
PHILADELPHIA - Murray State senior linebacker Nathan Williams is one of 16 players on the final official ballot for the 2008 Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivison (FCS). Williams and the other 15 players will appear on the ballot in which voting will be conducted starting next week.
Williams, who was added to the Buchanan list at midseason, leads all levels of football with 167 tackles. He leads the FCS with 15.18 tackles per game, 75 solo tackles and 6.82 tackles per game. He also is tied for 19th nationally with 0.73 sacks per game and tied for 59th with 1.18 tackles-for-loss per game.
The Murray, Ky. native has recorded double digits in tackles in eight of the 11 games and has at least 15 tackles in seven of those games. Earlier this season against Illinois State, Williams recorded an FCS-best 23 tackles. His 17 assisted tackles in that game was a then-NCAA record.
In the Racers last game against Eastern Kentucky, Williams recorded 17 tackles to set a new MSU single-season record for tackles, breaking the old record set by Donald White in 1981. He ranks fourth on the MSU all-time tackles list with 384 and is tied for 11th on the career sack list. He is currently the career active leader in tackles (384) and solo tackles (207) in the FCS.
He is joined on the ballot by Bobby Abare of Yale, strong safety Colt Anderson of Montana, defensive end Jovan Belcher of Maine, linebacker Zach East of Prairie View, defensive tackle John Faletoese of UC Davis, cornerback K.J. Gerard of Northern Arizona, defensive end Larry Hart of Central Arkansas, free safety Marcus Haywood of James Madison, free safety Mark LeGree of Appalachian State, defensive end Greg Miller of Villanova, defensive end Greg Peach of Eastern Washington, linebacker Andy Romans of Lafayette, linebacker Andy Schantz of Portland State, free safety Lardarius Webb of Nicholls State and linebacker Jason Williams of Western Illinois.
The winner of the 14th Buck Buchanan Award, symbolic of the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), will be announced at the annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 18 in Chattanooga, Tenn. at the Marriott Hotel. The Walter Payton Award, which goes to the top player in FCS, and the Eddie Robinson Award, which is bestowed upon the top coach, will also be awarded on the eve of the NCAA Division I football championship game.