Chris Williams seems to be enjoying his rookie season.
As the CFL season enters the 13th week, talk surrounding the league’s most distinguished individual awards begin as certain players start to stand out. It would be difficult to find a rookie who is having a greater year and impact for his team than Hamilton Tiger Cat’s receiver, Chris Williams.
“I really don’t even consider myself a rookie because I’ve been playing for [so many] weeks,” he said after a Tiger Cats practice. “It’s not about being a rookie it’s about being out there and contributing. ”Despite missing the first week of the season, Williams is near the top of the receiving yards leader board, sitting at 6th place with 736 yards.
For example, on Labor Day Williams drew coverage from former West Division All-Star and five-year CFL veteran, Dwight Anderson. Although, on Labor Day it looked like Williams was the All-Star.
“He had a rough couple plays,” Williams said.Williams made 5 catches, all coming after shaking off Anderson, for 109 yards, while also drawing a key pass interference call that set the Tiger Cats up on the one-yard line, leading to a Hamilton major.
“Anything I can do to help out the squad, as far as making plays, getting us down to a position where we can put points on the board, I’m going to do that whether it’s on him or anybody else,” he said.One of his five catches in particular showed Williams’ athleticism and sharp focus.
On a go pattern or a nine route, number 80 had Anderson beat deep down the left sideline; however quarterbacks Kevin Glenn’s pass was behind Williams so he calmly reached out with his left hand and tipped the ball into the air towards himself where it landed right in his arms. "It was kind of just instinctual, I can’t really explain it,” he said of the miraculous catch that earned TSN highlight of the night honor’s on Labor Day.
“It’s something I’ve done before in practice, I just tipped it over there and I could still see it and caught it.”