Cyclone Sports Report: Wide receiver is clearly a position of strength on this team. Was it frustrating in the spring when the media would list six to eight names on the depth chart at that position and sometimes your name wasn't even mentioned?Jake Williams: Not really because to be honest I don't really read to much of that stuff. I knew what the coaches thought of me and knew that with hard work I could possibly be playing more when the season came along.
CSR: Do you feel you would be getting the same opportunity with the old staff?
JW: You know I couldn't really say. It's just really hard to say and I'm just happy for the opportunity that I'm getting right now.
CSR: Coach Herman told me right before the season that, "all Jake Williams does is make plays." What does it feel like to hear those words?
JW: It's really a great feeling to know that the offensive coordinator has that kind of trust in me as a player. All of us receivers feel like we are playmakers. So when my number is called I just feel that I have to step up and make a play.
CSR: What are the biggest factors that led to you becoming an integral part of the offense?
JW: It's really been a combination of a lot of things. I would say the three key things have been hard work, stepping up and making plays, and building a trust with Coach Wells and Coach Herman.
CSR: How have Coach Wells and Coach Herman made you a better player?
JW: They expect perfection and when you have coaches that think that way you begin to expect that out of yourself. They have just really helped me mature as a player.
CSR: What did it feel like to score your first collegiate touchdown against Kent State?
JW: It felt awsome and I guess I would put it up there with the first snap that I took on offense last year. I just want to build on this for the rest of the season.
CSR: What needs to improve with the Iowa State offense?
JW: The first thing would be ball security. You just can't put the ball on the ground and so we really have to work on that. The other thing is that we need to be more consistent with things like running good routes and getting our timing down.