Super Mario Earns National Preseason Honor

Super Mario is Gaining National Attention.

6/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football

June 8, 2005

The rumor that's going around really isn't true: Mario Williams CANNOT leap tall buildings in a single bound. He is, however, pretty good at pressuring quarterbacks and tracking down ball carriers. So good, in fact, that Blue Ribbon College Football has tabbed the Wolfpack star as its preseason National Defensive Player of the Year and named him to its preseason All-America team.

The 6-7, 285 pound junior end is also on the preseason watch list for the Lombardi Award after earning first-team All-ACC honors last season. He led the nation's top-ranked defense with 15 tackles for loss during his sophomore campaign.