My name is William Cockerill, and I’m the newest addition to the Walk-On Redshirts team. College football has been a major part of my life ever since I can remember. Growing up in a small town in South Carolina I cared about the 5 F’s – Friends, Family, Faith, Food, and Football. After school I would run home so I could play football in the yard and imagine I was the next college football star, sometimes with friends, and sometimes even alone. Fall Saturday mornings consisted of breakfast, college game day, and playing as South Carolina against that week’s opponent on NCAA Football for the PS2 (bye weeks I would play against Clemson naturally).
I was lightly recruited coming out of high school, but I didn’t care where I went as long as I played, but as my dad always told me, “Be careful what you wish for, because it just might come true.” Well, as fate would have it, my recruiting journey came down to taking a preferred walk-on spot at…Clemson University, South Carolina’s biggest rival. I didn’t even hesitate, and ever since that day, the garnet and black blood that ran proudly through my veins, began to shift to orange and purple. At first, I felt like a traitor, but not too long after joining the team, I was hooked and never looked back. South Carolina still holds a dear place in my heart…except for the last Saturday in November.
My playing career came to an end against Alabama in the 2015-2016 National Championship game (we lost). I had one year of eligibility left, but after graduating early, I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Special Education to teach and coach High School Football. After graduating, I coached football and taught at a high school in upstate football for two years. I got married, and ended up making a HUGE career change and now work in Aerospace engineering. However, my football itch never went away. Without time to coach, I began writing mock drafts, random football articles, and coaching my wife during every Clemson game (she loves hearing how to beat Cover 2 defense or what the perfect power running scheme looks like).
We now have a son and I have been able to take him to some alumni events, but I’m so excited for him to be old enough to experience the magical pageantry of college football that made me fall in love with this beautiful sport.
Enough about me…kinda. For Walk-On Redshirts, I will be focusing on recruiting analysis and miscellaneous college football articles. I can’t wait to share my thoughts and interact with other lovers of college football like myself!
The Walk-On Redshirts 