Williams keeps Penn St. on roll

Last week, he scored rushing, receiving and on a kickoff return.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Of all the life lessons Derrick Williams learned from his father, one in particular stands out.

Williams used to have trouble setting aside the intense emotions he developed during games once time expired. His dad, Dwight, taught him to control those emotions and leave them on the field.

While teammates at No. 6 Penn State now know Williams as a humble jokester off the field, his on-field demeanor hasn’t changed a bit.

“Playing football, it’s an aggressive sport. ... You got to know you’re teammates have your back, and you have their back,” the Nittany Lions senior captain said. “When I’m just sitting alone with my friends, or in class, I’m just a laid-back person. I go with the flow.”

Unfortunately for Illinois, he was anything but laid back last weekend. Williams notched touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a 94-yard kickoff return to spark a big win in prime time that propelled the Nittany Lions into the Top 10 heading into their Big Ten road opener Saturday against Purdue.

It marked the first time in coach Joe Paterno’s 43 seasons as head coach that one of his players had accomplished such a feat — the kind of dazzling performance that Penn State fans had expected on a regular basis when Williams arrived in Happy Valley three seasons ago as one of the country’s top recruits.

“Derrick has the same intensity each and every game. I heard Joe say he was due for a big game, and I felt that way, too,” quarterback Daryll Clark said.

Humble perhaps to a fault, Williams deflects attention to his blockers, the team’s numerous other offensive weapons such as Butler and Norwood, and Clark — whose mobility is reminiscent of Michael Robinson, the dual-threat QB who led Penn State to the Big Ten title and Orange Bowl win in 2005.

“When I’m in the backfield lining up, people just can’t key on me, because Daryll can do so many things with the ball,” Williams said.

One thing Williams is not shy about is his ability to lead.

He might be quiet and reserved in the media room, but he’s very confident.

Before kickoffs and after stretches, the team will huddle for one more pep talk, usually given by a hyped-up Williams.

It’s one of the pre-game points of anticipation for the Beaver Stadium crowd.

“I’ve been a leader all my life,” Williams said. “I’m pretty sure there are a lot of guys on the team that can do the same thing ... but it’s not something that’s assigned to me.”

Once the clock ticks down to zero it’s back to the quiet but fun side of Williams’ personality. Williams credited his father’s advice when asked about the Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation.

“You got to control your attitude when you get off the field,” Williams said recounting his father’s message. “You got to make sure you’re humble, that you’re the Derrick that everyone knows.”