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When Ottawa Redblacks coaches and football ops folks talk about some of their young players on the rise, you hear the words “the arrow is pointing up” a lot.

Middle linebacker Avery Williams is one of those guys who’s taking it up a notch in 2019.

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Playing in a part-time role in 2018 with veteran Kyries Hebert on board, Williams had 43 tackles on defence. Already, in two games this season, he has eight tackles and a sack — he’s a key member of the defence.

But it’s not only what he’s bringing to the field in the middle of that defence that’s making his difference. In his second season in defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe’s system, Williams is becoming more and more confident, plus he’s gaining the confidence of those around him.

“To be honest, at the end of last season, I thought he’d done OK,” Redblacks linebackers coach Mark Nelson said. “Then I started watching more film in the off-season, there were a lot of good things he did. There are some things we need to improve on, he’s still working on those.