Josh
April 12th, 2005, 11:51 PM
DRAFT 2006 PROSPECT (#49) ILB WILLIAM FREEMAN, FURMAN, 6020 242lbs, 4.53/4.59
Quotes: "William Freeman has been a major reason for our success this year, and his versatility really helped us weather some midseason injuries and get us going down the stretch," said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb Monday afternoon. "He's a very talented football player with an equally impressive work ethic. That's what it takes to be a player-of-the-year in any league, at any level."
Workout Numbers: 6020 242lbs on pro day… 37.5-inch vertical, 4.53/4.59/4.60 40 times, 308 clean, 405 bench, and 525 squat during school workouts.
Scouting Notes: Played strong side linebacker but after Mike Killian went down he switched to ILB and will stay there in 2005… does a good job of taking on blocks and shedding them… has very good size… shows great speed… very physical player who has a knack for finding the ball… team leader who knows the true meaning of the word “team”… shows the speed to run sideline to sideline
Pro Grade: 5th-6th round
2005: Buck Buchanan Award Candidate… All-American Candidate… Preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year front runner… All-Southern Conference Candidate.
2004: Buck Buchanan Award Finalist… earned 2nd Team All-American honors by The Sports Network… consensus SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Year was named South Carolina Player-of-the-Year by both the Greenville and Orangeburg Touchdowns Clubs… first team All-SoCon by coaches and media… was Furman's Paladin (MVP) Award… registered a team leading 100 tackles and 12 tackles-for-loss in 2004 in leading the Paladins to a 10-3 record, SoCon conference championship, and NCAA I-AA quarterfinal playoff appearance… also had 5 sacks, 4 breakups, and 1 interception during the season as well… was named SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Week a league best three times this fall while helping the Paladins pace the conference in scoring defense (16.6 ppg). He tallied career a career high 15 tackles against Gardner-Webb (28-6 win) and Pittsburgh (41-38 overtime loss)… honored as SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Week a league high three times this season… fifth Paladin to garner coaches SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors since the award was initiated in 1989… if combining coaches and sports media association defensive player-of-the-year selections, he is the ninth Paladin to capture the league's highest defensive tab… totaled 5 tackles and 1 breakup in the first round of the playoffs at home against Jacksonville State in a 49-7 blowout… sat out the UTC game while nursing the ankle injury but Furman won 51-31… left the Wofford game with an ankle sprain but Furman still won 31-24 in Spartanburg… finished with 15 tackles to lead the team for the 2nd straight week against then 3rd-ranked Georgia Southern at home in a 29-22 win… at Elon, Freeman posted 10 tackles to lead the team to a 10-0 win… collected 7 tackles against The Citadel at home in a 33-14 win… finished with 9 stops against App State in Boone, NC in one of the most exciting games of the season but lost 30-29… tallied 4 stops and 1 interception against Western Carolina at home winning 31-10… against I-A Pittsburgh led the team with 15 tackles, had 3 for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in a 41-38 loss in overtime… led the team with 14 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 1 sack at Gardner-Webb in a 38-6 win…. Posted 9 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 1 sack, and 2 breakups in a 45-10 win at Samford… had 3 tackles, 0.5 for loss, 1 breakup, 0.5 sacks in the season opener against Presbyterian in a 52-7 blowout win.
2003: Began the season as a key backup to Keito Whetstone at strong side linebacker but moved into the starting lineup in game three versus Richmond after an injury versus Clemson sidelined Whetstone...ended the season with nine starts and 73 tackles, good for third on the squad...also tallied eight tackles-for-loss, a pair of sacks, and two pass deflections...played a central role in Furman leading the SoCon in scoring defense (14.1 ppg), total defense (272.5 ypg), passing defense (132.8 ypg), and passing efficiency defense (97.5 rating)...pass defense average topped NCAA I-AA...captured SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors after tallying a career high 14 tackles and two tackles-for-loss in his first career start, a 31-17 triumph over Richmond...came back the following tweek with a 10-tackle performance versus Gardner-Webb (45-0 win)...had five stops, including four for-loss and a sack, in the Paladins’ 63-21 season ending win over Chattanooga...took home Furman’s C. Johnson Moore Hustle Award for the second straight year following the season.
2002: Saw action in all 12 games as a backup linebacker and member of special teams...totaled 28 tackles and a sack...notched a season high six tackles against VMI (55-28 win)...had a sack for a loss of 11 yards in a 35-7 win over Chattanooga in the regular season finale...took home Furman’s C. Johnson Moore Hustle Award at season’s end.
2001: Member of scout team...awarded redshirt and extra year of eligibility.
High School: 2001 graduate of Swansea High School...football coach was B. Stroud...saw action at linebacker and tailback...three-time all-region selection...named all-area by The State and Orangeburg Times & Democrat after rushing 236 times for 1,445 yards, and 16 touchdowns during the 2000 season...also notched 62 tackles and five sacks as senior...had 682 yards rushing, five touchdowns, and 55 tackles as a junior...outstanding wrestler...posted a 40-4 record and was state champion in 189-pound class as a junior...went 40-0 as a senior on the way to winning a second straight state title in the 171-pound class.
Personal: Full name is William Cain Freeman... son of Robert and Roslyn Freeman, Jr.... born on May 1, 1983, in Charleston, South Carolina... has 1 brother named Robert Freeman III and 1 sister named Re’Vivian Freeman… majoring in history.
Quotes: "William Freeman has been a major reason for our success this year, and his versatility really helped us weather some midseason injuries and get us going down the stretch," said Furman head coach Bobby Lamb Monday afternoon. "He's a very talented football player with an equally impressive work ethic. That's what it takes to be a player-of-the-year in any league, at any level."
Workout Numbers: 6020 242lbs on pro day… 37.5-inch vertical, 4.53/4.59/4.60 40 times, 308 clean, 405 bench, and 525 squat during school workouts.
Scouting Notes: Played strong side linebacker but after Mike Killian went down he switched to ILB and will stay there in 2005… does a good job of taking on blocks and shedding them… has very good size… shows great speed… very physical player who has a knack for finding the ball… team leader who knows the true meaning of the word “team”… shows the speed to run sideline to sideline
Pro Grade: 5th-6th round
2005: Buck Buchanan Award Candidate… All-American Candidate… Preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year front runner… All-Southern Conference Candidate.
2004: Buck Buchanan Award Finalist… earned 2nd Team All-American honors by The Sports Network… consensus SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Year was named South Carolina Player-of-the-Year by both the Greenville and Orangeburg Touchdowns Clubs… first team All-SoCon by coaches and media… was Furman's Paladin (MVP) Award… registered a team leading 100 tackles and 12 tackles-for-loss in 2004 in leading the Paladins to a 10-3 record, SoCon conference championship, and NCAA I-AA quarterfinal playoff appearance… also had 5 sacks, 4 breakups, and 1 interception during the season as well… was named SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Week a league best three times this fall while helping the Paladins pace the conference in scoring defense (16.6 ppg). He tallied career a career high 15 tackles against Gardner-Webb (28-6 win) and Pittsburgh (41-38 overtime loss)… honored as SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Week a league high three times this season… fifth Paladin to garner coaches SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors since the award was initiated in 1989… if combining coaches and sports media association defensive player-of-the-year selections, he is the ninth Paladin to capture the league's highest defensive tab… totaled 5 tackles and 1 breakup in the first round of the playoffs at home against Jacksonville State in a 49-7 blowout… sat out the UTC game while nursing the ankle injury but Furman won 51-31… left the Wofford game with an ankle sprain but Furman still won 31-24 in Spartanburg… finished with 15 tackles to lead the team for the 2nd straight week against then 3rd-ranked Georgia Southern at home in a 29-22 win… at Elon, Freeman posted 10 tackles to lead the team to a 10-0 win… collected 7 tackles against The Citadel at home in a 33-14 win… finished with 9 stops against App State in Boone, NC in one of the most exciting games of the season but lost 30-29… tallied 4 stops and 1 interception against Western Carolina at home winning 31-10… against I-A Pittsburgh led the team with 15 tackles, had 3 for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in a 41-38 loss in overtime… led the team with 14 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and 1 sack at Gardner-Webb in a 38-6 win…. Posted 9 tackles, 1.5 for loss, 1 sack, and 2 breakups in a 45-10 win at Samford… had 3 tackles, 0.5 for loss, 1 breakup, 0.5 sacks in the season opener against Presbyterian in a 52-7 blowout win.
2003: Began the season as a key backup to Keito Whetstone at strong side linebacker but moved into the starting lineup in game three versus Richmond after an injury versus Clemson sidelined Whetstone...ended the season with nine starts and 73 tackles, good for third on the squad...also tallied eight tackles-for-loss, a pair of sacks, and two pass deflections...played a central role in Furman leading the SoCon in scoring defense (14.1 ppg), total defense (272.5 ypg), passing defense (132.8 ypg), and passing efficiency defense (97.5 rating)...pass defense average topped NCAA I-AA...captured SoCon Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors after tallying a career high 14 tackles and two tackles-for-loss in his first career start, a 31-17 triumph over Richmond...came back the following tweek with a 10-tackle performance versus Gardner-Webb (45-0 win)...had five stops, including four for-loss and a sack, in the Paladins’ 63-21 season ending win over Chattanooga...took home Furman’s C. Johnson Moore Hustle Award for the second straight year following the season.
2002: Saw action in all 12 games as a backup linebacker and member of special teams...totaled 28 tackles and a sack...notched a season high six tackles against VMI (55-28 win)...had a sack for a loss of 11 yards in a 35-7 win over Chattanooga in the regular season finale...took home Furman’s C. Johnson Moore Hustle Award at season’s end.
2001: Member of scout team...awarded redshirt and extra year of eligibility.
High School: 2001 graduate of Swansea High School...football coach was B. Stroud...saw action at linebacker and tailback...three-time all-region selection...named all-area by The State and Orangeburg Times & Democrat after rushing 236 times for 1,445 yards, and 16 touchdowns during the 2000 season...also notched 62 tackles and five sacks as senior...had 682 yards rushing, five touchdowns, and 55 tackles as a junior...outstanding wrestler...posted a 40-4 record and was state champion in 189-pound class as a junior...went 40-0 as a senior on the way to winning a second straight state title in the 171-pound class.
Personal: Full name is William Cain Freeman... son of Robert and Roslyn Freeman, Jr.... born on May 1, 1983, in Charleston, South Carolina... has 1 brother named Robert Freeman III and 1 sister named Re’Vivian Freeman… majoring in history.