2013: Redshirt senior ... Finished his career as one of three NU punters ever to surpass 9,000 career yards (9,200), averaging 39.1 yards per kick ... Averaged 36.0 yards per punt on 58 attempts in his senior campaign ... Booted 17 kicks inside the 20 ... Twice punted a season-high 11 times in a game (at Wisconsin, at Nebraska) ... Kicked season-long punt of 48 yards against Maine ... Averaged 42.2 yards on four punts in season opener at Cal ... Academic All-Big Ten and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree.
2012: Redshirt junior ... Completed third season as NU's starting punter ... Ranked seventh in the Big Ten in punting average (39.9) ... Five punts at Syracuse for a 36.2-yard average, landing three inside the 20 ... Punted six times with a 41.5-yard average and a long of 53 against Vanderbilt ... Punted twice vs. Boston College, including a 41-yard kick that pinned BC to its own 1-yard line with NU ahead by three and 3:02 to play ... Against South Dakota, posted a 56.7-yard average on three kicks, including a 61-yarder that rolled to a stop on the Yotes' 1-yard line in the first quarter ... NU special teams player of the week vs. South Dakota ... Two punts averaging 45.5 yards against Indiana ... Punted eight times at Penn State, including a season-long 64-yarder ... Set a single-game career high with 12 punts against Nebraska (one shy of the NU school record), landing four inside the 20 and booting a long of 59 yards ... Two punts for 73 yards vs. Iowa ... Averaged 41.0 yards on four punts at Michigan, landing two inside the 20 ... Eight punts for 300 yards at Michigan State ... Was not called on to punt vs. Illinois for the first time in his career (NU did not punt in the game) ... Punted five times vs. Mississippi State in TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, including a long 64 yards ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2011: Second-year starting punter ... Redshirt sophomore ... Ranked sixth in Big Ten punting average (40.8) ... Opened the season by averaging 45.0 yards per punt at Boston College ... One of his five punts landed on the opposition's 20-yard line ... Only punted twice vs. Eastern Illinois ... Had seven punts at Army, with four of his seven boots landing inside the opposition's 20-yard line ... Kicked a rugby-style punt 65 yards ... Tacked on another 65-yard punt at Illinois ... Averaged a single-game career-best 46.7 yards per punt against Michigan ... Posted a 34.8 ypp average at Iowa and a 37.6 average vs. Penn State ... Only punted once at Indiana (early in the fourth quarter) ... Punted just twice at Nebraska, but earned NU's special teams player of the week honors for his efforts (averaged 42.0 yards per punt and neither could be returned ... Versus Rice, had two punts for 88 yards (44.0 average) that both landed inside the 20 ... Booted the seventh-longest punt in NU history (77 yards) in win vs. Minnesota ... Averaged a career-best 58.3 yards per punt against the Gophers ... Posted a 44.2 yards per punt mark against Michigan State (with two punts inside the 20 and one touchback) ... Finished the season strong, averaging 47.6 yards per punt in November ... In bowl game vs. Texas A&M, had a season-high eight punts for a 42.1 ypp average .... Three of his eight boots landed inside the 20-yard line ... Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
2010: Played in all 13 games ... Named NU's starting punter entering preseason camp ... Averaged 40.0 yards per punt ... NU ranked 28th nationally in net punting (38.0 ypp) ... 34.4 percent (21 of 61) of his punts were downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line ... Five punts, including a long of 57 yards, in TicketCity Bowl ... Punted four times for a 42.5-yard average at Wisconsin ... Against Illinois, punted four times with a 45.2-yard average, including a career-best 61-yard boot ... Punted six times (43.7 yards per kick) vs. Iowa, including a long of 53 yards ... Five punts (36.6 yards per kick) at Penn State ... Kicked six times with a long of 50 yards at Indiana ... Against Michigan State, punted five times with a long of 50 yards ... Punted six times against Purdue with a 41.3-yard average ... One punt for 42 yards at Minnesota ... Against Central Michigan, punted four times with a 36.5-yard average ... Six punts with a 38.8-yard average and a long of 52 at Rice ... Punted four times vs. Illinois State with an average of 41.8 yards per punt ... Made his collegiate debut at Vanderbilt, punting five times with a 42.4-yard average, including a 59-yard boot ... Landed three kicks inside the Commodores' 20 ... Named NU's Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Vanderbilt and Iowa ... Also handles holding duties on place-kicks.
2009: Did not see action.
High School: Two-time (2007 and 2008) first-team AP, Indiana Football Coaches Association (IFCA) and Indiana Football Digest (IFD)South Bend Tribune Dream Team selection (at punter) ... Named the Panthers' Special Teams MVP three times (2006-08) ... 2008 team captain ... Averaged 39.7 yards per career punt ... Also served as the team's place-kicker ... Played wide receiver and quarterback, too, for the Panthers ... Averaged 41.9 yards per punt his senior season ... Had a career-long 67-yard punt his senior year ... Selected to play in Indiana's 2009 North-South All-Star Game ... Helped the Panthers win sectional and regional crowns in 2008 ... Team won the state championship his freshman year ... Honor Roll, NHS, Class salutatorian, Four-year Scholar-Athlete, Moose Krause Scholar-Athlete Award ... Also lettered in track (400 meters, long jump) and basketball ... Coached by Rich Dodson.
Personal: Born Brandon Kyle Williams ... Son of Brian and Melanie Williams ... Earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering before pursuing a master's in engineering design innovation.
The B. Williams File
Q: If you could dine with anyone from any period in history, who would it be and why?
A: Antonio Stradivari, because there are so many unanswered questions about his work that I would be interested to know about.
Q: What is the greatest lesson in life that you have learned?
A: You can't do life alone.
Q: My favorite thing about NU is and why?
A: Being close to Chicago because there is so much to do and see whereas in Nappanee, there's not so much.
Q: Best part about being a Northwestern football player is:
A: Being on a team of great athletes that are even better people and having coaches that care about how you're doing both on and off the field.
Q: Describe Coach Fitzgerald in five words or less:
A: Energetic, Entertaining, Enthusiastic
Q: Most humbling experience:
A: My first quarter at NU I was greatly humbled in the classroom
Q: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement and why?
A: So far, getting admitted to Northwestern, and also playing on a Big Ten football team.
Q: The best book I have ever read is and why?
A: Lead For God's Sake by Todd Gongwer ... It is a book written by a good friend of mine that is about leadership and why leaders lead. It discusses the Biblical views of leadership and not only how to effectively lead but also why.
Q: The person that inspires me the most is:
A: My uncle, Kim Zurcher, who passed away six years ago. He was a man of great character who was a great encouragement in my life especially in the area of sports. He played basketball in the Big Ten and that was always an inspiration to me that I too could one day play in the Big Ten.
Q: When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be:
A: Barry Sanders
Q: My favorite food is:
A: My grandma's crepes
Q: Best thing about Northwestern is:
A: The people that I get to work with everyday
Q: My ultimate SportsCenter highlight would be:
A: Fake punt for a touchdown
Q: My favorite television show is and why?
A: Seinfeld, because it is cleverly written and hilarious
Q: If I were not playing football, I would be:
A: Studying more.
Q: Which FORMER NU football student-athlete has had the most impact on your Wildcat career and why?
A: Zeke Markshausen has most impacted my Wildcat career as a Christian on the team, a leader in FCA, an engineering student and a holder.