VIDEO: Lonnie Williams Interview
The honor is the first of Williams career and the first special teams player of the week accolade for a C-N player since kicker Curt Duncan won the honor in week two of 2013 for nailing two of three field goals and three extra points.
Williams set a school record for kickoff return yards with 215. His first career kickoff return went 100 yards for a touchdown on the opening play of the game. The 100-yard kickoff return is the fourth in school history and the first since 1992.
"I just followed my Screaming Eagles (C-N's blockers on special teams)," Williams said. "They made good blocks and I just followed (fellow returner) TraShaun Ward to get into the end zone. Once I broke it, I just used my speed to get to the end zone."
Damon Wright has two of the four, housing from 100 yards out against Wingate in 1992 and Presbyterian in 1990. Kenneth Tyson had the first 100-yard kickoff return against Mesa in 1983.
"If it wasn't for the Screaming Eagles, I wouldn't get any yards at all," Williams said. "It's big, I've been trying to get Coach Dino Waites to put me back there. I was at the bottom of the list, I got to try out this week and it just clicked with me and TraShaun back there this week."
Williams averaged 43 yards per kickoff return over his five run backs. That tally is the seventh most among returners with at least two returns in a game and first among players returning five kicks in a single game.
The Eagles play their third straight road game next Saturday at Catawba. Kickoff from Shuford Stadium is set for 1:30 p.m., pregame coverage on the Eagle Sports Network with the AEC Tailgate Show at 12:30 p.m. on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), 106.3 ESPN Radio The Zone (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
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