NEW MILFORD, Conn. — Saugus native Cam Williamson had a handful of options for where to continue his football career at the college level. He gave it some thought and, after a year at Canterbury in Connecticut, Williamson’s returning home.
Williamson committed to play Division III football at Endicott College in Beverly, just a stone’s throw away from his hometown. He joins a Gulls team that’s looking to build a new direction under first-year head coach Paul McGonagle, a former offensive coordinator at Assumption.
“It felt great to commit to Endicott,” Williamson said. “I really love the program there, and the coaches. It was kind of a no-brainer for me. When I got to the school I just fell in love with it. I loved the academics and the football program. It felt great when I committed. It felt as though my hard work finally paid off.”
Williamson gained a positive first impression from Endicott while staying for an overnight visit. He also developed a connection with McGonagle and both were keys toward him choosing to join the Gulls.
“The football program and the location stood out to me,” Williamson said. “You can’t beat the location. The academics are great. When I went on my overnight visit, I got a great vibe from the guys on the team. I felt that Endicott would set me up to do great things in the future, after football.
“Coach McGonagle was one of the only coaches that talked to my parents,” Williamson added. “He contacted them over the phone and really made me feel wanted. He did a great job as the offensive coordinator at Assumption. The vibe I got from him is that he’s a players coach and I really like that.”
Williamson was a three-year varsity starter and two-year captain as an offensive/defensive lineman for the Saugus Sachems. Although the Sachems went through a few down seasons during Williamson’s years on the team, he emerged as one of the top linemen in the Northeastern Conference.
After a stellar senior season, Williamson was named an Agganis All-Star and took home the South team’s MVP honors in a 10-6 winning effort over the North. He scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the win.
“That felt great,” Williamson, who also played basketball and lacrosse at Saugus High, said. “It kind of showed me that the hard work pays off. I loved the coaches and the players at Saugus. We just didn’t have the success that we hoped for. I kind of felt that I made Saugus proud by doing that.”
This past fall Williamson starred on the gridiron at Canterbury School, a small college preparatory boarding school in New Milford, Connecticut. The Saints, which compete in NEPSAC, went 4-3 in a season in which they were stymied by injuries.
“I think we had a pretty good season,” Williamson said. “We dealt with a lot of injuries. We’re a small school so everybody was playing both ways. Overall it was a very competitive league. We played a team that had 11 Division I commits. We weren’t as big as some of the other schools but we fought every game.”
The Gulls went 3-7 in the 2017 season. They ended the year with victories over Nichols and Becker in their final two games.
“I have to thank my family, my coaches, my teammates and everyone else who helped me along the way,” Williamson said. “I’m hoping that we’ll do great things at Endicott and I’m looking forward to that.”
