Published: 11:19 AM, Wed May 12, 2010
Cape Fear alum Seth Williams trying to snag spot on N.Y. Giants roster
Region roster
Following is a list of former Cape Fear region high school players who are now on the rosters of National Football League teams. Each player's name, position, NFL team, hometown and high school are listed.
Brandon Ghee (above), CB, Cincinnati Bengals (Fayetteville, Jack Britt HS)
Desmond Bryant, DT, Oakland Raiders (Elizabethtown, East Bladen HS)
Kenwin Cummings, LB, New York Jets (Maxton, Purnell Swett HS)
Aaron Curry, LB, Seattle Seahawks (Fayetteville, E.E. Smith HS)
Jason Hunter, DE, Detroit Lions (Fayetteville, E.E. Smith HS)
Vonta Leach, FB, Houston Texans (Rowland, South Robeson HS)
Sean Locklear, OT, Seattle Seahawks (Lumberton, Lumberton HS)
Marques Murrell, DE, New England Patriots (Fayetteville, Jack Britt HS)
Willie Parker, RB, Washington Redskins (Clinton, Clinton HS)
Hilee Taylor, DE, Carolina Panthers (Laurinburg, Scotland HS)
Cam Thomas, DT, San Diego Chargers (Eagle Springs, North Moore HS)
DeMarcus 'Tank' Tyler, DT, Carolina Panthers (Fayetteville, E.E. Smith HS)
Seth Williams, CB, New York Giants (Fayetteville, Cape Fear HS)
Wallace Wright, WR, Carolina Panthers (Fayetteville, Pine Forest HS)
Seth Williams was sitting in the locker room at Giants Stadium two weeks ago when reality smacked him right between the eyes.
"I'm sitting there and Eli Manning walks by,'' Williams said. "That's when it really hit me: I'm in the NFL.''
Williams was signed as a free agent last month by the Giants, a move that landed him a spot in the team's rookie camp April 29-May 2 in East Rutherford, N.J. A cornerback out of the University of Richmond, Williams earned the praise of New York head coach Tom Coughlin after making two interceptions during one of the five practices.
The Cape Fear High School graduate hopes the performance is the start of a process that will earn him a spot on the Giants' roster for the 2010 season.
"The first day I jumped out there and made some good plays,'' Williams said. "They (coaches) singled me out and said some things to the media about how well I did. So I think I was able to turn some heads pretty quick.''
The Giants offered Williams an opportunity on the heels of a stellar career at the Football Championship Subdivision level with the Spiders. Williams started for three seasons at Richmond, including 2008 when the Spiders won the FCS national championship. He finished his career with 245 tackles and nine interceptions.
But despite his impressive college credentials, Williams wasn't selected during the NFL draft last month. Before the last picks were made, however, the Giants were on the phone discussing a free-agent contract with Williams.
"My agent also received a call from Tampa Bay, but he thought the Giants were a better fit for me,'' Williams said. "They didn't draft any other corners, so there's a good opportunity for me to go in there and compete" for a roster spot.'
New York's current roster features seven cornerbacks, but only five of those saw action with the Giants last season. Among the seven were the team's top tackler, Terrell Thomas, rookie Bruce Johnson and third-year pro Aaron Rouse.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Williams admits that he was a bit star struck when he arrived at camp. Not only was it his first trip to New York City, but it also brought him face to face with players he'd only seen on TV such as Manning, the Giants quarterback and MVP of the 2008 Super Bowl.
"You're in there with all these guys from bigger schools in the SEC or Big Ten. It can be overwhelming,'' Williams said. "But when it came down to football, I just snapped on my helmet the same way everyone else did. It was time to compete at that point.''
Professional football wasn't the only excitement Williams experienced during rookie camp. He was in camp just across the Hudson River from New York City when news broke that an SUV rigged with explosives was discovered in Times Square.
"They kept us busy, so we didn't really have time to worry about it,'' Williams said. "But people were keeping tabs on it every time we got a break. It was crazy to be that close to something like that.''
Williams will return to New Jersey on Sunday for another week of training and meetings with the Giants. He'll come home to Fayetteville to continue his preparations before heading back for preseason training camp in August.
If first impressions mean anything, Williams already has a leg up on a roster spot.
"I'll do anything to make sure I have a helmet next fall,'' Williams said. "Playing in the NFL has been a dream of mine for so long. I've gotten this close, and now it's up to me to make it happen.''
Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayobserver.com or 486-3534.