TC, Hillsborough players making impact at Grambling

Posted Oct 14, 2011 by Bill Ward

Updated Oct 14, 2011 at 04:15 PM

Four players from Tampa dot the roster as freshmen at Grambling State University and two of them, former Tampa Catholic quarterback D.J. Williams and ex-Hillsborough offensive lineman Andre Gunn have earned significant playing time for the Tigers.

Williams, the son of Grambling head coach and former NFL star Doug Williams, started at quarterback the first four games for Grambling but a case of turf toe caused him to sit out the school’s last game against Prairie View in Dallas, where Grambling fell 31-23 at the Cotton Bowl.

That game, played Oct. 1, marked the debut of Gunn at center, a position he never played in high school. He came in late in the second quarter and his steady play kept him there the remainder of the contest. He is the expected starter Saturday when the Tigers, now 1-4, play host to Concordia.

Also on the Grambling roster are former Hillsborough fullback/linebacker Jamie Knott and ex-Tampa Bay Tech quarterback Jonathan Williams.

In other news from TC, Crusaders coach Bob Henriquez said sophomore offensive lienman Corey Martinez has been invited to the combine staged during the U.S. Armt All-America game in January.