Shaun Williams became head coach for William Paterson this season, after former coach Dustin Johnson moved on to coach cornerbacks at Villanova. William Paterson athletics photo

By Brian Lester 
D3sports.com 

Matt Clarke was ready for the moment. With under a minute to play, William Paterson trailing by a point and a win in the NJAC opener on the line, it was now or never for the Pioneers.

Mele’ Stallings unleashed his third throw of the late-game drive and his 23-yard pass found the hands of the junior standout for the game-winning touchdown. 

Dale Nazir then capped the play with a two-point conversion run, lifting William Paterson to its third consecutive victory, the longest streak since 2005.

For Clarke, a two-time all-conference selection, the win alone was a big deal. But that clutch catch also happened to be a milestone moment for one of the Pioneers’ best receivers.

“It was a new feeling for me. I’ve been playing since I was about 12 and had never caught a game-winning touchdown. To do that now, in a comeback win, to put us at 4-1 on the season. It felt really good.”

Clarke and the Pioneers have every reason to feel good. They are off to their best start since 2010, which also included four wins in the first five outings, and their win over Kean was their first conference-opening victory since 2010.

William Paterson won four games last year, under coach Dustin Johnson. Johnson inherited a winless team in 2018, then won two games in 2019. Paterson’s latest win, the second of the season in comeback fashion, tells you all you really need to know.

“I think that game is a microcosm of what our season has been so far,” first-year head coach Shaun Williams said. “Being down and fighting our way back one play at a time. That’s what this team has been about.”

Williams understands how tough this sport can be. The California native played college football at UCLA before getting drafted 24th overall by the New York Giants in 1998. He quickly worked his way into a starting role in the secondary and played in Super Bowl XXXV against the Baltimore Ravens.

For the past 14 seasons, he’s been at William Paterson, just 15 miles or so from the Meadowlands, and he’s relishing his role as the new head coach. His experience in the league is something he uses to help his players be ready for the challenges they face in the daily grind of football.

“Everyone sees the NFL and the glitz and glamour of it, but it takes a lot of hard work to get there and even more hard work to stay there,” Williams said. “I tell the guys all the time that successful people never give up. They find a way through a challenge. The NFL taught me that it’s okay to be uncomfortable. The greatest feeling is getting through it.”

Resiliency has been a theme for the Pioneers through this early part of the season. Four of their five games have been decided by single digits, and even in their 28-21 loss to FDU-Florham, they were in it at the end with a chance to pull out a victory.

“I think it’s an underrated part of our team,” Clarke said of the resilience factor. “We have a lot of guys who have faith in each other and we trust the coach. We go 100% on every play to try and get that win. It shows how talented we are and how far we can actually go if we do the right things on the field.”

And while it may appear a switch is flipped on game day, the foundation for the ability to rally is laid well before then.

“Those comeback moments start in practice,” senior linebacker Nazier Wright said. “We put it all together then. We lock in as one and do what we have to do to be ready for the game.”

Wright, a D3football.com All-Region pick who tallied 70 tackles last season and already has 34 tackles in 2022, said it’s been a long process to get here but loves seeing all the work pay off.

Nazier Wright

“A lot of new is happening this year. It’s going good. I think the big thing this year is chemistry. Win, lose or draw, we stick together. That’s been a difference,” Wright said.

And it’s made a world of difference. Williams feels the Pioneers have built something special this season.

“Our hard work and dedication have helped us build a great culture,” Williams said. “We obviously have talent on our roster, and that has been working well for us, and we’ve gotten a few lucky breaks here or there. We’re also making exceptional plays at the right time.”

But in the end, it all goes back to resiliency. Williams can’t say enough about it.

“I talked to the guys prior to the season about adversity and I talk before every game about it. I tell them there will be adversity at some point in every game and we just have to stay the course,” Williams said. “It’s all about how you handle the adversity that really reflects your character. Our guys have shown they can handle it. They believe in each other.”

The road from here on out doesn’t get any easier. Salisbury, the defending conference champion, is up next. A year ago, the Sea Gulls, ranked 11th in the nation at the time, capped a second consecutive unbeaten run through the conference with a 38-7 win over the Pioneers. 

William Paterson realizes its hands will be full on Saturday, but it's ready for the challenge.

“They are the big dog in the conference,” Clarke said. “It’s a good test for us to see where we are at, and after this, no matter what happens, we’ll stay together.”

The Pioneers also won’t shy away from what has worked for them in their first five games.

“We have some tough games coming up, and we have to give everything we’ve got to win,” Williams said. We have to be locked in mentally, take care of our bodies, understand the game plan and try to keep leveling up every day and every game.”