Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams believes he has solved the drop problem that followed him through last season, and the fix had nothing to do with his hands. The Crimson Tide junior learned his right eye was not tracking the football properly, a discovery that came after he and head athletic trainer Jeff Allen reviewed film together, according to ESPN.
Coleman-Williams was a Freshman All-American once mentioned as a potential Heisman Trophy contender, but he led all Power 4 receivers with 10 drops last season. The low point came in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia in December, when he missed a go-ball that drew attention afterward.
Ryan Coleman-Williams’ Drop Issues: What Alabama Found Wrong
Coleman-Williams initially assumed his struggles were psychological. “I thought my issues with dropping the football were a mental block,” he said, according to ESPN. That explanation did not fully add up, since he already had elite speed, short-area quickness and generally sound positioning on contested passes.
After the Georgia game, Allen suggested testing Coleman-Williams for vision issues as part of a broader plan to screen several players. Coleman-Williams had posted a perfect 20/20 result on a standard eye exam, but the specialized testing found only one eye was actually tracking the ball in flight. His right eye was not locking onto the stimulus the way it should have been.
How The Vision Fix Changed His Game
Coleman-Williams spent the offseason working to correct the tracking issue, and he described the difference in concrete terms. “Now when it comes to the ball, I’m literally like Spider-Man. It’s a lot easier. It’s night and day,” he said, according to ESPN.
He also tied the physical fix to a mental lift. “It almost gives me even more confidence going back to just that work in the offseason and knowing that I put in some time into that,” Coleman-Williams said. “I know it’s my eyes, but my hands have more confidence because it’s like, No, I know I’m looking it in.” He added simply, “I know it helps me.”
Early Signs In The Receiving Rotation
Coleman-Williams still dropped a pass in the season-opener against East Carolina, but his production since has given Alabama reason for optimism. In the Crimson Tide’s 56-23 win over Mississippi State, he caught a touchdown and finished with three catches for 43 yards, according to the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated.
Coleman-Williams credited his improved focus on fundamentals for freeing him up to make plays once the ball is in the air. “That’s another reason why I’m able to play free, because obviously I know the plays, I know how we want to execute them, and I know my job,” he said. “So once those three boxes are checked, now it’s just catch the ball. And after that, all my God given ability is going to take over.”
What’s Next
Alabama will look for Coleman-Williams to build on his Mississippi State performance as the season continues. The Crimson Tide’s recent stretch includes the matchup previewed in Georgia vs Alabama: Preview, Weather and Storylines, and more details on the Mississippi State result can be found in No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State: What to know before Saturday.
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