Pitt CB Marquis Williams Inspired by Calijah Kancey's Preparation

Pitt Panthers corner Marquis Williams hopes to employ the same kind of focus his roommate did.

PITTSBURGH -- Everyone saw the end results. Former Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash at 281 pounds - the fastest ever for a player at his weight - and even after adding two more pounds, recorded a three-cone drill time that would have shattered what any of his peers ran at the NFL Combine. 

But none of the spectators who marveled at his testing numbers saw the work he put in and the focus he demonstrated behind the scenes while preparing weekly for games at Pitt. His roommate, cornerback Marquis Williams, did.

Just seeing Calijah Kancey, like that was my roommate," Williams said. "The way he prepared like a pro, did everything like a pro, he was ready for the NFL before the season if we’re being honest.”

Williams saw Kancey ignore video games and dating while he spent long hours at the practice facility and took careful care of his body. Kancey was early to bed and early to rise, behaving like the professional football player he wanted to be before he had even left college. So seeing Kancey earn unanimous All-American honors and shatter testing records at the NFL Combine and Pitt Pro Day didn't shock Williams. It was the expectation. 

"Preparing each game week, Calijah didn’t play one video game that whole week, he didn’t communicate with no girls, he was in the film room, he left the facility late, he went to sleep early," Williams said. "He was a pro already. I was watching him each and every day like ‘Yeah, he’s ready. He was a pro a long time ago.’ So seeing him out there and seeing the numbers he put up, it’s not shocking.”

Williams hopes to be on a similar path this fall and into next spring. He's started and starred in Pitt's secondary for three years and expects to add another standout year to his resume and propel himself into the NFL Draft. To do that, Williams isn't just admiring Kancey's path but trying to replicate it. 

“That’s the plan,” Williams said. 

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