Joe Williams
When senior wrestler Joe Williams first visited MSU, he was a high school sophomore tagging along during his older brother’s official visit.
Although he would go on to win a high school state title later that year and finish his prep career with a 171-9 record, that was the first time head coach Tom Minkel had heard of the younger Williams brother.
The numbers Williams has piled up during his wrestling career speak for themselves, and that’s a good thing considering the senior captain isn’t likely to go around boasting about them.
“Joe’s kind of a quiet leader,” Minkel said. “He’s not a real flashy young man, but he’s real solid. He comes to the mat every time to get the job done, and I think all our wrestlers look to him for good, solid fundamental wrestling week in and week out.”
Williams’ “fundamental wrestling” has put him among the nation’s elite this season, as he holds an 19-8 record and the No. 18 ranking in the 197-pound weight class.
While he has the national ranking and gaudy statistics next to his name, the one thing Williams hasn’t had to deal with during his three-plus seasons at MSU has been publicity.
“I never really minded that,” Williams said. “I just like wrestling and stuff like that always takes care of itself.”
The main reason Williams has been under the radar during his MSU career is because of the star teammates he has wrestled with.
For the past three years he was in the shadow of two of the most prolific wrestlers in MSU history — Nick and Andy Simmons. Nick, a four-time All-American, ranks second in school history with 138 wins, while Andy was a three-time All-American with 115 career wins, tied for seventh in team history.
During Williams’ senior season, the spotlight has shifted to Franklin Gomez, a sophomore who is currently ranked No. 3 nationally in the 133-pound weight class.
“I’ve known Nick and Andy forever, and I’m always happy for my teammates,” Williams said. “You can’t really be mad about being overshadowed by guys like that because they’re special.”
While Williams has been in the shadow of others during his entire career, his goal is to end his senior season in the spotlight.
“I want to end my senior season on top (and) I honestly think that I’m in a weight class and a position to win if I put together a good, solid postseason,” he said.
“Last year was kind of disappointing, there’s no way to really hide from that fact,” Williams said of going 0-2 in the 2007 Big Ten Championships. “I’m not one of those guys that tries to forget the past completely because that’s lingering in my mind.
“I want to finish this season a lot better than I finished last season. I think that if I push real hard toward the end and I really just put together some good matches then I could end up on top.”
Williams will next see the mat when the Spartans face Minnesota at 7 p.m. on Jan. 25 at home.
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