Jon Williams knows because he’s been there already. His father was in prison on a murder charge while Williams was in high school. Three of his six siblings were addicted to drugs.

So ‘Uncle Jon’ is a willing teacher to his nephew, Syracuse track and field athlete Will Watson.

‘Will and his siblings had a tough upbringing, but that doesn’t mean they have to have a tough life,’ Williams said.

Football helped Williams survive a rough adolescence in Somerville, N.J., and track would hopefully help his nephew Watson do the same at Syracuse. Williams, a former Patriots running back and standout with Penn State, has become a mentor to Watson — a long jumper and triple jumper for SU — and advises him on everything from injuries to Facebook status updates.

Take the sports-related injuries, for instance. Williams, once a highly touted prospect, blew out a knee in a skiing accident that ended his professional football career. When his nephew suffered one high-ankle sprain after another, he had some advice: Trust the system.

‘It can be tricky to come back from something like that, and I couldn’t mount an NFL comeback,’ Williams said. ‘But I told Will, rehab works if you take it seriously and trust your body.’

Stretch, ice, elevate, tape and repeat.

Watson listened, battling through a rash of lower leg injuries to become the ‘high upside’ project of SU jumping coach Dave Hegland.

Watson finished sixth in the long jump at the Princeton Sam Howell Invitational earlier this outdoor season and 12th at the Cornell Spring Invite in April. But Hegland thinks he still needs to shake off some rust from his time on the sidelines.

‘It’ll be interesting to see where he’ll be if he gets his steps down again,’ Hegland said. ‘I know this: He works hard at it.’

Working hard has never been a problem for Watson and Williams in their respective careers. Both were multisport standouts in Somerville. Williams set the Somerville High rushing record and went on to win a national championship under Joe Paterno with the Nittany Lions in 1982. Watson took up track his sophomore year at Somerville High, and one season later he was a team captain.

Watson’s sister, Nisha Williams, said Watson became a big deal in the small town.

‘Everyone knows everyone in Somerville,’ she said. ‘When you excel, everyone knows you even more.’

That’s when Jon Williams taught Watson another lesson: Stay humble. He knew how quickly success could turn ugly after his short-lived NFL career. And he wanted his nephew to know that he hadn’t accomplished anything yet.

The advice took a while to sink in for Watson, who walked onto the SU track team. He earned the nickname ‘Showtime’ as a freshman because he said he knew ‘how to have a good time.’

Consequently, Watson’s first SU track season was up and down. Hegland says it was hard for Watson to focus on track alone.

But Hegland noticed a change in Watson during the buildup to the outdoor track season this year. He’s currently spending less time away from Manley Field House and more time rehabbing his ankle and practicing his steps.

Still, Uncle Jon is ready if the old Showtime — and the distractions that come with him — reappears.

‘I’ve made mistakes before,’ Watson said. ‘There are people with big dreams here who let money or negative influences like drugs or gangs hamper those dreams. Jumping kept me occupied and away from getting caught up in that lifestyle.’

Watson wants to make himself into a jumper who can qualify for the Big East championships. Refocused, he knows what areas of his life are most important to his success as an athlete at Syracuse.

And if he wavers from that path, Uncle Jon is right there.

‘I try to make sure he’s taken care of,’ Williams said. ‘If he says something dumb online, I’m right there commenting him. You are who you make yourself out to be.’

nctoney@syr.edu

Published on April 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Nick: nctoney@syr.edu | @nicktoneytweets