Edwin Williams, OT

Williams was a stout, hard-working, durable three-year starter in the pivot for the Terps who capped off his career with a first-team All-ACC season in 2008. Not only is he the leader of the offensive line on the field, but his coaches are very high on his attitude and off-field leadership abilities. Williams is not an elite athlete, but his strength and fair footwork for his size is not lost on scouts, even in a decade-best class of centers.

Positives: Durable, high-effort center. Good initial quickness off the snap. Good hand placement and flashes the lateral quickness to stay square to the defender. Alert. Makes the line calls and is quick to pick up unexpected blitzes. Good initial pop and can turn the defender to create a hole. Shows some agility as a run blocker. Can move in space and block at the second level and on screens. Comfortable snapping out of the shotgun. High character guy. Competitive with a good work ethic; always hustling and positive-thinking leader.

Negatives: Relies on his initial foot quickness to turn defenders in the running game, but struggles to sustain. Only phone booth quickness. Quickly tires and lacks straight-line speed. Lunges at defenders at the second level, too often getting just a piece of them. Good initial pop as a pass blocker, but can be wrestled to the ground. High effort, but is a limited athlete ho can be beaten by quicker and stronger defensive tackles.

A first team All-ACC selection by AP/ACSMA … started all 13 games at center … only offensive player to start all 13 games … member of a line that enabled Da'Rel Scott (1,133) to become the seventh Terp back, and first since 2002 (Chris Downs), to gain over 1,000 rushing yards … the line also aided Chris Turner to throw for 2,516 yards, the seventh-highest single-season total in school history … one of eight Terps to earn Academic All-ACC honors … member of the watch list for the Rimington Trophy, honoring the best center in the nation … a concensus preseason first team All-ACC selection … first team choice by The Sporting News, Lindy's and Blue Ribbon and second team by Athlon … part of the unit that surrendered just one sack and helped Scott rush for 197 yards vs. Delaware (8/30) … part of the unit that scored 35 points vs. then-No. 23 Cal (9/13) … member of an o-line that accounted for 51 points and 486 total yards against Eastern Michigan (9/20) … a member of a unit which did not allow a sack in the win over Clemson (9/27) … headlined a group which did not allow a sack and posted 470 yards of total offense vs. Wake Forest (10/18) … also recovered a Scott fumble which led to a touchdown … part of the unit that helped Terp ball carriers rack up 203 rushing yards (including 163 by Scott) vs. NC State (10/25) … graded out as the top offensive lineman (five big blocks) in the win over North Carolina (11/15) … earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week for that performance which helped Da'Rel Scott (129) and Davin Meggett (86) rush for 215 yards, and allowed Turner to be sacked just once .. helped spearhead a solid offensive attack in the win over Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl (12/30) … offense posted 456 total yards, including 258 rushing yards, vs. a Wolf Pack defense which entered the game ranked third nationally against the run (74.5 ypg).

Started all 13 games at center … nominated for all-conference honors … one of two linemen (also Dane Randolph) and three offensive players (also Darrius Heyward-Bey) to start each game … opened holes for running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, who combined to rush for nearly 1,600 yards and 25 TDs … also helped first-year starting QB Chris Turner post the third-best passing efficiency rating in the ACC … (vs. OSU, Emerald Bowl) … started at center and was on the field for all 54 plays … (vs. NCSU) … saw time on 63 plays, enabling the Terps to rush for a season-high 249 yards … (vs. FSU) … started at center and was in on 70 plays … (vs. BC) … started at center and was in on all 66 snaps … helped the offense post a season-high 472 yards of total offense … (vs. UNC) … started at center and saw action in all 75 plays … (vs. Clemson) … started at center and on the field for 62 plays … (vs. UVA) … started at center and was in on 54 plays … (vs. GT) … participated in 44 plays, second most among offensive linemen … (vs. Rutgers) … started at center and saw action on 50 plays … helped the offense post 458 yards of total offense … (vs. WF) … started at center and appeared in 72 plays (tops on the o-line with Andrew Crummey) … (vs. WVU) … started at center and saw action on 53 plays … (vs. FIU) … started at center … (vs. Villanova) … started his 14th-consecutive game at center … saw action in 59 plays, second most on the o-line.

Started all 13 games at center … one of two offensive lineman to start each game (also Stephon Heyer) .. .opened holes for running backs Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, who eached rushed for over 700 yards on the season … part of an offensive line which allowed just 19 sacks, the second-lowest total in the ACC … (vs. PU in the Champs Sports Bowl) … started and saw action in 89 plays … (vs. WF) … started and was in on 53 plays with two big blocks … (vs. BC) … started and was in on a team-high 78 plays … (vs. Miami) … started and was in on 35 plays … (vs. Clemson) … played on a team-high 59 plays … (vs. FSU) .. . started and was in on 50 plays … (vs. NC St.) … started and was in on 50 plays … (vs. UVA) … saw action on a team-high 59 plays … (vs. GT) … started and was in on 56 plays, with no sacks allowed … (vs. FIU) … started at center and was in on a team-high 73 plays, with one big block … (vs. WVU) … started at center and was in on 71 plays … (vs. W&M) … first career start … posted one big block in 51 plays.

Played in each of the final 10 games … played a total of 145 plays, recording two big blocks while allowing one sack … (at TU) … was in on 46 plays and did not allow a sack or commit a penalty … had no missed assignments … (vs. UVA) … was in on 26 plays and did not allow a sack … (at WFU) … credited with three big blocks while not allowing a sack … (vs. WVU) … played 25 plays at center and did not allow a sack … (vs. CU) … made college debut, splitting time at center with Ryan McDonald.

Redshirt season … offensive scout team Player of the Year … earned scout team Player of the Week for his work in practice the week of the NC State, Florida State and Virginia Tech games (three of the season's final six games).

DeMatha High School: A two-year letter winner and starter … went to DeMatha to play basketball but finished his prep career as the school's top offensive lineman … switched from basketball to football prior to his junior season and ultimately played offensive guard (junior season), offensive tackle and defensive end (senior season) … consistently graded out over 90 percent his senior season … also recorded 78 tackles and six sacks … named first-team All-Met by The Washington Post and the Pigskin Club as a senior … also earned first-team All-WCAC, all-county and All-Gazette honors in 2003 … named a Mid-Atlantic all-region pick by SuperPrep … also an all-region selection by PrepStar … DeMatha finished '03 as the state's No. 1 team and the 14th-ranked team in the nation by USA Today … was in the basketball program two years … an early commit who was also recruited by Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech … coached by Bill McGregor.

Born Dec. 10, 1986 … parents are Edwin and Cheron Williams … enrolled in the College of Letters and Sciences.