Temple University Athletics
Transfer Rodney Williams Finds Home at Temple
8.17.18 | Football
For graduate safety Rodney Williams, this is a reality. Williams transferred to Temple from Syracuse in May, to finish his last year of college with the Owls.
Williams got playing time with the Orange, playing in 33 games over three years and recording 125 total tackles, so there is no worry about finding playing time elsewhere. It was the 'Where?' part of the question he needed to answer.
"There was a lot going into the decision. It was a tough decision to make because I had a lot of friends, brothers and family up at Syracuse," Williams said. "I felt that at the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me and I felt that transferring to a different institution for my last year would better position myself for the future."
While Williams enjoyed his time at Syracuse, the group of coaches that recruited him and introduced him to their system were fired, and he had do adapt to a completely new system under the new coaching staff.
The transition didn't go the way he wanted it to, so when he decided to transfer, he wanted to go somewhere with a system better fit for him, that is where Temple came into play.
"I thought that there was different schemes I could excel in," Williams said. "When I came to Temple, it felt like home even though I'm about 20 minutes from home. I felt comfortable. I felt welcome."
Distance wasn't an issue with Temple. Williams is a native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and an alum of Cherry Hill West High School. Temple was a homecoming for Williams.
"Having the ability for my family to come and see me and being close to home, that topped it off," Williams said. "Putting the two together is like a perfect fit. Why go anywhere else?"
It's very humbling for Williams. He sees himself as an example for the people he grew up with and the younger generation of kids growing up in tougher areas.
"I really take pride in motivating those guys. I want to show them the importance of higher education and just chasing your dreams," Williams said. "I'm excited for them to be able to see all of this come about."
Williams said that when he visited Temple, there was something different about the program here that he didn't see anywhere else.
"As soon as I came to Temple, I was surprised. It's the real deal here," Williams said. "It's really different here, really physical, fast-paced. There's really good football being played here."
Almost immediately, Williams had the feeling that "this is the one right here", and now, he's one of three transfers at Temple looking to make an immediate impact for Temple and show their worth to the rest of the country.
