After Being Granted Sixth Year of Eligibility, Larry Williams Approaching Full Health Just in Time

Larry Williams has played college football for a long time.

Williams, entering his sixth college season, started his career at East Carolina. He redshirted as a freshman in 2013 before playing in all of the Pirates’ games in 2014. He was then dismissed from the program for violating team rules, which led him to Hutchinson Community College. There he started all 11 games in 2015 and was a first team All-American. His lone season at the JUCO level led him to Oklahoma State.

A beautiful redemption story, right? Well Williams’ Cowboy career hasn’t exactly gone to plan. Since being in Stillwater, Williams has missed 17 of OSU’s 26 games during the past two seasons because of injury. Williams even participated in OSU’s pro day in the spring after uncertainty if he would be granted a sixth year of eligibility. On April 26, OSU announced Williams would be back for a sixth year of college football.

At the pro day, Williams said he still wasn’t 100 percent healthy, but a few weeks into fall camp he is coming around.

“I feel pretty good,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say 100 percent because there’s times where it bothers me, and there’s times where a screw might hurt and certain positions hurt, but as far as percentage, I’m probably like 95, 97. Not fully 100, but I’m doing a lot better than what I felt at pro day.

“It was definitely more mental than anything. Coach Gundy says it all the time, ‘Your body can do anything if you just put your mind to it.’ There were times where I felt that I physically could do it but it was just in my head. It felt like a physical barrier but it was really mental.”

Williams played in the Cowboys’ non-conference games last season before injuring his ankle in practice. In 2016, he made it through five games before getting injured and was able to play some snaps in the Alamo Bowl against Colorado. Williams said he jokes with himself about making it to Game 6.

In the eight games Williams has started at OSU, the Cowboys have averaged 46 points a game and 158.6 rushing yards a game with a 6-2 record.

Williams is a veteran in nearly every sense of the word, having played in the AAC, JUCO and now in the Big 12. He said he wants to be a role model for the younger guys on the team. His advice to the them is simple.

“Don’t get discouraged when you’re a young guy,” Williams said. “Things might not start off the way you want them to be, but if you just push through and keep doing what you’re good at and spend a lot of time on that, then you’ll be in a fine position.”