Williams' work rewarded

Freshman defensive lineman Nathan Williams retook a high school English class this summer, raising his grade from a D to a B, to qualify academically for fall camp.

Jeff Conroy, his former coach at Washington Court House Miami Trace, said Williams' ACT score was "flagged" as suspicious by the NCAA in the spring, and when he retook the test, his score and grade-point average did not meet the NCAA's criteria.

"It was a roller-coaster ride for him," Conroy said. "One minute, we're slapping each other on the back, hugging and giving high-fives (at signing with Ohio State), and the next minute we get a letter in the mail saying he didn't qualify."

Williams stayed home instead of enrolling for Ohio State's summer quarter. He took an online course and qualified.

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