For all intents and purposes, Timaul Williams was all set to leave his track and field days back at East Orange Campus High School when he enrolled at Rutgers-Newark two years ago. Williams was going to take his shot put, discus and javelin and put them in his closet for good.
 
"My first intention was to focus more on academics," Williams said. "It was going to be academics first."
 
But then, Williams was playing a pickup basketball game in the Golden Dome one day and his East Orange Campus track T-shirt caught the eye of Rutgers-Newark veteran track coach Juan Edney.
 
There was a special reason why the shirt stood out to Edney.
 
"The coach at East Orange Campus is Lance Wigfall," Edney said. "He ran for me at Lincoln University (Edney's previous coaching position before R-N). So I approached the young man and asked him how come he didn't come out for track. He said, 'I know you, Coach Edney.' We talked right there and then he walked away."
 
Williams knew that he then had to face Edney's challenge.

"My high school coach (Wigfall) told Coach Edney about me," Williams said. "I knew that they had a strong connection. Coach Edney kept asking me, 'When are you going to come out? When are you going to join the team?' I actually then gave it a thought and decided to come out for the team. At first, I just wanted to see where I was at. In high school, playing sports and my academics, sports actually helped me with my academics, because it kept me motivated."
Williams learned a little about being a student/athlete through track and field.
 
"It taught me about time management," Williams said. "It taught me about what's not important in my life."

So Williams figured that he was ready to be a college athlete.
 
But things didn't exactly start out well for Williams at R-N. He suffered academically and after one semester under academic probation, Williams was dismissed from the school.
 
"I would say that it was probably the hardest time I've had in my life," Williams said. "The very first thing I did after getting dismissed was cry. I didn't expect to be dismissed. It took me a whole to understand the worth of my education. I didn't take school as seriously as I should have. I think (getting dismissed) gave me the drive and dedication to do better. I knew what I had to do to get back and be a better student and be a better person. No matter what, wherever I went, I was going to do better."
 
Williams had to totally sit out that second semester, but was given the opportunity to re-enroll in the fall.
 
"He worked his tail off to get back," Edney said. "I could see he changed."
 
Williams was given another chance to be a student-athlete at R-N and he certainly was not going to slip up again.
 
"The whole situation motivated me," Williams said. "No matter what now, I knew I was going to do my best."
 
Since gaining re-admission to Rutgers-Newark last fall, Williams has truly altered his approach – both with a book in hand and with the shot and hammer in his hand.
 
"The main thing that helped me was the support I had from my teammates and Coach Edney," Williams said. "They've helped me in every way possible. It took me a while to get adjusted. The time management was by far the most dramatic change."
 
And there was the difference in weights. The college shot is heavier. Williams had never even heard of the hammer or weight throws.
 
"The hammer throw was the hardest to learn," Williams said. "The smallest mistake can throw you off. As I kept practicing, I started to get the feel for it. I needed to balance the time between the weight and the shot. It was all completely new to me."
 
But Williams is getting the feel for the throws, just as his sophomore indoor season is winding down.
 
Williams just recently finished sixth in the weight throw at the New Jersey Athletic Conference championships at the Ocean Breeze complex in Staten Island with a career-best 48 feet, three and ¼ inches. That performance will give Williams a solid idea of where he stands during the upcoming outdoor campaign.
 
"Coach Stone (graduate assistant coach Kelsey Stonehocker) helped me a lot by dissecting my technique," Williams said. "I'm hitting the right positions and where I need to be. My shot throws have improved dramatically. Compared to where I was when I first started, it's totally different."
 
Williams is even surprising himself.
 
"To be completely honest, I didn't expect to be taking it this far," Williams said. "I just finished my real first year and I didn't think I could throw this far. I've set new goals for myself. I'll keep pushing myself."
 
"He knew he had some work to do," Edney said. "There was an adjustment with the weight difference in the shot, from high school to college. He had to learn the other throws."
 
Williams will now also compete in the javelin during outdoor season.
 
"That's something new for me," Williams said. "I'll have high expectations. I'll do the best that I can and work as hard as I can and put in as much work as I can."
 
There is one aspect to Williams' approach that is still a work in progress – his temperament.
"He's so hard on himself," Edney said. "He gets so into it and if he makes a bad throw, it gets to him. He has to learn how to channel it. If you are constantly getting angry, it will kill you."
"I know I have to keep my composure," Williams said. "I have to keep my mind clear and be as fluent as I can."
 
Edney knows that Williams is still getting accustomed to college life – and the college weights. Adding the javelin in the spring will only be added motivation.
 
"Stonehocker is working on his technique," Edney said. "He's getting better and better. He still has some time to grow, because mentally, he's killing himself. He's a good kid, an emotional kid. But he's a hard worker. He's very loyal to his teammates and his team. He's going to get there. You can see how good he's become in such a short time. He understands what it takes now and you can see his response."
 
"I know I can do better," said Williams, who is now majoring in criminal justice. "It's all up to me."