By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The hectic schedule would begin in August when he reported to training camp for the Bridgewater State University football team.
Cameron Williamson of Easton would play that sport until November, take a brief break, then join the Bears indoor track & field team for the winter season.
Once that was over in early March, it would be on to the outdoor track & field season that ran until May.
It is a routine that the Oliver Ames High School graduate lived by for four years at Bridgewater State.
"Twelve straight seasons,″ said Williamson. "Honestly, it brought structure and scheduling to my college career. Everything fell into place.
"Certain things would often be stressful for other people, but I wouldn't stress as much because I knew what my daily routine was and I was able to kind of keep that same routine throughout school. It kept me on a really straight path and allowed me to stay focused.″
Williamson, who graduated from BSU on Saturday after majoring in English and finance, put together a successful athletics career while playing from the time the academic year started until it ended.
He was a three-year starting safety on the football team, helping the Bears win the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2016 to earn a trip to the NCAA Division 3 tournament.
Williamson, a captain in his senior year, had four career interceptions, 13 pass breakups and 113 tackles in 30 games over three seasons.
"I was a practice player my first year, but I got a lot better,″ he said. "My coaches and teammates helped me a lot. The first year, I wasn't too familiar with reading offenses, but (teammate) David Console was able to help me out a lot. After that year, everything kind of clicked and I knew the defense like the back of my hand.″
In track & field, Williamson won the MASCAC triple jump title six times -- three straight years during both the indoor and outdoor seasons -- and was part of three conference championship teams.
"Never did I ever think about stopping,″ said Williamson. "My dad and mom (Carlton and Karen) always encouraged me. They enjoyed seeing me compete, and bringing that joy to them made me happy. I'm a very competitive person and doing it all four years was great.″
Williamson was planning to just play football when he arrived at Bridgewater State in 2014, but his older brother, Carlton, was on the football and track & field teams and encouraged him to join him.
Cameron Williamson is glad that he took his brother's advice as he developed into the best triple jumper in the MASCAC in addition to being a solid contributor to the football team's defensive unit.
Williamson, who credits assistant coach Michael Hulme with helping him improve as a triple jumper through the years, is finishing his track & field career in style, winning five triple jump events during the winter and earning All-New England honors at the Division 3 meet.
In the spring, Williamson placed first in four straight meets and was again an All-New England performer at the Division 3 meet with a fifth-place finish.
An illness that caused Williamson to miss the final three games of the football season last fall inspired him to put together a successful ending in track & field.
"I lost probably 30 pounds,″ he said. "My spleen was inflamed. That was kind of a tough way for me to go out, football-wise. I didn't let it get my down because I knew my athletic career probably wasn't going to end on a sour note. I had to refocus.
"Once football ended the way it did, never knowing when your last game is going to be, I decided to have the attitude in track & field of thinking it was always the last game.″
Williamson had a career-best jump of 47 feet, 3 and 3/4 inches to win the MASCAC title again. His final meet is scheduled for Thursday, the MIT Last Chance Qualifier, and Williamson hopes to improve his performance to earn a spot in the NCAA Division 3 Championships at the end of this month.
"If I was able to go to the NCAAs, that would be great to finish my career that way and hopefully I could be an All-American,″ said Williamson.
It would be a perfect end for a hectic four years at Bridgewater State for Williamson.
"I think a lot of it is natural ability, he's an athletic kid,″ said BSU track & field coach T.J. Smith. "But he's probably the most competitive kid I've ever coached.
"It's a heckuva grind what he did. I'm sure it takes a toll on his body. It's commitment and constantly taking care of his body. Even in the offseason in the summer or the small window between seasons, he's in weight room, eating the right things. It's really been a 12-month commitment for him.″