A week ago, former Mustang running back Deonte Williams was named to College Sporting News 2012 Fabulous Fifty FCS All-America Team, which is a list of the top 50 players in the FCS. This past season, Williams rushed for 1,506 yards, falling just 72 yards short of the school record. I recently spoke to the former Cal Poly star about his offseason schedule and NFL aspirations.

Deonte Williams ran for the second most yards in a single season in Cal Poly history. By Owen Main

Here are some bullet points to skip to certain parts of the interview:

What was your reaction to being named to College Sporting News 2012 Fabulous Fifty FCS All-American Team? (0:17)

Did you set any goals regarding yards, touchdowns, or a specific award at the beginning of the season? (0:58)

What are your current goals, moving forward towards the NFL? (1:48)

Would you be willing to look at multiple positions if that is asked of you? Maybe play some special teams? (2:20)

There’s been a few former Mustangs who have made the FCS’s All American Teams, like Asa Jackson with the Ravens and Ramsus Barden with the Giants…. Have you been talking to any former teammates or current friends in the league for advice in these upcoming months? (2:59)

Finally, what’s your mindset going into these next couple of months leading up to the NFL draft? What emotions are running through your head? (4:15)

According to nfldraftscout.com, Williams is ranked 44th out of 196 running backs considered for the NFL Draft. In less than three months, we will see where he lands.

Adrian Peterson is the obvious choice for MVP. By Mike Morbeck [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

What he has accomplished this season off an ACL and MCL injury is so unprecedented it may be the greatest comeback sports has ever seen. It would be one thing if Peterson just came off his late-season injury and rushed for 1,000 yards, which would be acknowledged by fans as an acceptable season, but that’s just not Adrian Peterson – he’s incredible.

To put Peterson’s season in perspective, look at the table in this recent ESPN article by blogger Kevin Seifert.

It is worth mentioning that Jamaal Charles had a great season coming off his injury, but it is equally fair to note he had three more months to recover than Peterson. While fans should take notice of Charles’ season, it is not even in the same category as Peterson’s season.

Now, back to Adrian Peterson. The man has a killer smile, work ethic, and reportedly the strongest handshake you’ll ever experience. A coach’s dream, Peterson is the perfect star. Never do you hear him complain about too little carries, lack of offensive help, or deferring blame to his offensive line (see Chris Johnson). He simply goes to work and puts the team ahead of himself, even when he is within single-digit yards of the single-season NFL rushing record. So it should come as no surprise when FOX reporter Pam Oliver asked Peterson how it felt to be nine-yards short of the record after the Vikings 37-34 win over the Packers, Peterson respond with, “What?”

If you took a look at the Vikings huddle, their weapons include Percy Harvin (now on the Injured-Reserve list), Kyle Rudolph, an underwhelming receiver in Michael Jenkins, an inconsistent receiver in Jerome Simpson, Adrian Peterson, and quarterback Christian Ponder. Ponder has been efficient this season with 18 TD’s and 12 Int’s, but 2,935 passing yards against consistent single-high safety looks is not too impressive. Since Harvin’s injury, the only bright spot for the Viking’s receiving core has been the emergence of rookie Jarius Wright. While Wrighthad an impressive 90-yards and 1 TD catch against the Packers Week-17, he has only recorded 322 receiving yards for the season.

The Vikings have been one of a few surprise teams to make the NFC playoffs this season. By Kevind810 [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Not once did they say, “We want to hold him under 100 yards, even 50 yards.” Packers inside linebacker A.J. Hawk even acknowledged that “[he doesn’t] think anyone really shuts him down.” So while the Packers did just barely accomplish their goal of keeping him from the record, they still let him rush for 199 yards with 2 TD’s (1 rushing, 1 receiving). So if that is now where the bar is set for NFL defensives approaching Peterson, that is scary.

Surpassing everybody’s expectations but his own (he spoke of reaching 2500 yards earlier in 2012), the circumstances of which Peterson has accomplished his numbers defy all odds, and his numbers speak for themselves. He literally put the Vikings on his back and carried them to a 10-6 record and spot in the playoffs, off a 3-13 2011 campaign. For that reason, he is the most valuable player in the Vikings organization, and in the NFL.

Laker fans should be worrying, but not for the reasons most media have been speculating. Yes, Steve Nash is old, and yes Dwight Howard is coming off back surgery, and Kobe Bryant has more mileage than that old Toyota that has been in your family for decades; but player personnel is not the greatest area of concern for to the Lakers.

The greatest concern is head coach, Mike Brown.

With guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas in LeBron James’ supporting cast, Mike Brown led the Cavs to a finals appearance. The question is whether he can do the same for this year’s Lakers team. By Keith Allison [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Chemistry

An NBA head coach’s largest task is managing the personalities of his stars, veterans, and newcomers to create a winning atmosphere.

The Lakers needed arguably the greatest coach in NBA history, ten-time world champion Phil Jackson, to successfully blend the personalities of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’ Neal, and most recently Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Metta World Peace, and Pau Gasol.

This is not to say Brown cannot control Hollywood’s newest starlet in Dwight Howard, but he has yet to prove in his career that he can help his players thrive under pressure.

Many fans remember just last season when Gasol seemed to be the headliner of NBA trade rumors for a few months, only to remain with the team. Perhaps its unfair to compare the a single coach to one of the all-time best, but Jackson preferred to keep all issues in house, and I’m sure all Laker fans, and especially Gasol would’ve preferred such an approach.

Head Coach vs Team Personality

Mike Brown is 42-years-old, making him only four years older than point guard Steve Nash. Brown also started coaching in the NBA in 1997, one year after Kobe Bryant was drafted.

This is not to say Brown is not deserving of a head coaching spot, but in all professions, respect is earned and not given. With over 15 seasons in coaching experience, Brown has been around the NBA long enough to make a name for himself, but he is not quite in the top tier of coaches. For this reason, it is concerning that he is coaching one of the most heavily scrutinized teams in pro sports. The Lakers have raised 16 championship banners in their history, and as a result the franchise and its fan base expect nothing less than a championship every season. Anything less is a disappointment.

Rotation Bingo

Some could argue Brown was plagued last season by limited practice time due to the NBA lockout, but a consistent rotation continued to be an issue past the all-star break. At age 33, no player even challenged Kobe for the highest usage rate in the league.

Discouraged by inconsistent play, Brown seemed almost allergic to his bench.

The bench averaged the least amount of points per game last season, and even when Brown left in a couple starters, the bench seemed lifeless. Not even the acquisition of point guard Ramon Sessions could help boost the bench play when Steve Blake went back into his natural bench rotation.

Potential to Improve

Brown’s first year as the Lakers’ head coach did not come without hardships. He had a multitude of obstacles:

• NBA lockout, a 66-game shortened season, almost no practice time, and therefore limited time to instill his system.
• Lamar Odom’s trade situation to begin the season.
• No top tier point guard to help Kobe spark the offense.
• Gasol trade rumors affecting the locker room.
• Bynum, whose heart was usually a game time decision
• Lakers players’ lack of defensive effort

A head coach can only fix effort to a certain point, and defense is all effort. At some point, something has got to give and either these players will conform to Brown’s system or they wont. Until or unless they do, it will be a struggle.

This season will either be remembered as a time of trial and triumph, or it will be a blip in the Lakers franchise history that most fans will dismiss. Either way, this is the season where Mike Brown can prove his value as a leader. Only time and results will tell.

Be patient Laker fans. Brown is the Lakers biggest concern, but he can also be the greatest asset to the Lakers if the players abide by his system and learn to play championship team defense. Then and then only might the city of Los Angeles see another banner in 2013.

P.S.

Really, do not worry Laker fans. Just because the Lakers are 0-3 and ESPN says the last time this happened the world didn’t have the iphone… or cable TV, doesn’t mean they can’t do it. So maybe the Mayans were right and the world will end before the all-star break and we will never truly see the true potential of the Lakers. STOP! It’s fine, we’re fine, it’s all fine. The Lakers are the Lakers for a reason; they always seem to find a way.