RJ Williamson's Michigan State teammates thought the veteran safety was on pace for an all-conference type of season, if not better, before he joined the sizable injury ward in East Lansing in October.
Williamson, a fifth-year senior, hasn’t played since tearing one of his biceps in the first Big Ten game of the season. Through five games, he had collected 24 tackles, picked off two passes and recovered a fumble. More importantly, his 43 games of college football gave him easily the most battle-tested resume in a secondary that otherwise lacked significant experience.
"That was our leader," said cornerback Arjen Colquhoun, who became a regular part of the defensive backfield rotation for the first time this fall.