EXCLUSIVE: THURSDAY Island-born gridiron football star Jesse Williams will draw on his personality and experience when he faces off against college rivals, the University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish, in the BCS National Championship Game.

Dame's Fighting Irish, in the BCS National Championship Game this morning Australian time.

Williams, who plays at 'nose tackle' for reigning champions Alabama Crimson Tide, is not letting anything deter him from the biggest game on the college football calendar, according to his former coach, Steve Box.

"He's focused when it comes to practice and focused on to the on-field (performance), but his personality's pretty laid back," Box said. 

"Inside he'll have that mental preparation going. He takes it all in his stride and he's looking forward to getting on the paddock today."

Box, who heads the Bayside Ravens in the Gridiron Queensland competition, said he was confident that Williams could go all the way and help the Crimson Tide clinch the championship for the second year running.

"His job is just to use his strength and his size to really set the tone and be a physical presence in the middle," he said.

"He's well regarded in his position, he's well regarded generally and the scary thing for everyone, what all the scouts are seeing, is that really, he's pretty raw, he's still a work in progress."

Widely tipped as a number one NFL draft pick once he finishes college football, Williams will have to put any notion of future stardom behind him as he sets his sights on defeating a determined Notre Dame.

UPDATE:

Queensland's gridiron golden boy, Thursday Island-born Jesse Williams, has helped his Alabama college football team storm home to an emphatic 42-14 drubbing of rivals Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game on Monday night US time. Read more from this story in tomorrow’s The Cairns Post.

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