Shey Williams felt pain shooting through his shoulder.
Most people wouldn’t know he was ailing based on his performance on the field, with 726 yards receiving and 14 touchdown grabs.
But as he produced, Williams didn’t have the strength to complete a push-up. He grinded, rehabilitated and got healthy.
This season was his reward.
So explosive was Williams that Lockport put the ball in his hands in every way imaginable. Direct snaps, hand-offs, pitches, passes and kick returns.
Williams delivered by posting 1,568 all-purpose yards and 19 total touchdowns, helping the Lions to the Section VI Class A final, their first title game appearance in 20 years.
And even though Lockport didn’t end its season with a championship against Clarence, Williams was the most electric player on the field, scoring from 53 and 60 yards.
The combination of explosiveness and versatility has led to Williams being chosen as the Greater Niagara Newspapers player of the year.
“I put in a lot more work than I did last (year),” Williams said. “Just knowing it’s gonna be my last year, I wanted to definitely push way harder and come out to (as) full intensity as possible.”
Last season Williams was predominantly used at wide receiver, catching deep passes or using pure speed to beat defenses to the edge on flip passes. He kept that in his repertoire, finishing in the top-five in the section in receptions (50), yards receiving (823) and receiving touchdowns (9).
But Lockport coach Trait Smith credited his expanded role with Williams watching more film. Williams began to line up in the backfield more frequently, typically at quarterback.
“He was starting to learn what people were doing,” Smith said. “With him knowing what they were going to do, he was able to adjust his routes to what we’ve called into what he sees and it worked out very good. … He had a lot of growth.”
Williams’s growth included running for 200 yards against West Seneca West, while scoring seven rushing touchdowns on the season.
When Lockport needed to seal a sectional semifinal win over Starpoint, it used Williams at quarterback to run the ball, including a 27-yard touchdown in the final minutes.
Williams had the speed last season, but needed to bulk up to take the pounding. In addition to rehabbing with Lockport strength coach Dorian Polk during the late winter, Williams also spent the summer with him adding strength.
“His motivation was kind of unmatched,” Polk said. “He knew that after he had a successful junior season on the field, he had to follow up with another great season. And his motivation has always just always been there. And he wants that scholarship. He wants a free education, he wants to further his career more, for at least four more years.”
Williams hasn’t officially made a decision but he is searching for a new school, for education and to continue playing. He’s had discussions with both Buffalo and Stony Brook — an FCS team — up to this point but wants to find the right opportunity that’s best for him.
Now that he’s fully health and confident, Williams said his skill-set would fit in any locker room.
“I really just want to come out and win,” Williams said. “So, whatever it takes to win, I’ll be a team player. Wherever (the) coach, the team, sees the opportunity to win, I’ll go there and do whatever it is (asked).”
Past GNN players of the year: 2023: Shey Williams (Lockport); 2022: Noah Skinner (Medina); 2021: Xander Payne (Medina); 2020: Wally Wisniewski (North Tonawanda); 2019: Declan Faery (Wilson); 2018: Aaron Chase (Starpoint); 2017: Steve Frerichs (Wilson); 2016: Tajay Ahmed (Starpoint); 2015: Terrell Ford (Kenmore West); 2014: Shaolin McCray (Niagara Falls); 2013: Qadree Ollison (Canisius); 2012: Tommy Doctor (Grand Island); 2011: Jeff Goldsmith (Niagara Falls); 2010: Dale Stewart (Niagara Falls); 2009: Brett Dlugosz (Grand Island); 2008: Alex Neutz (Grand Island); 2007: Christian Nestark (Grand Island).