Fantastic Fifteen: Nobody outworks William Owens

College coaches don’t have to watch William Owens very long.

Westover head coach Corey Joyner says they usually reach the same conclusion.

“When college scouts see him work, they want him,” Joyner said. “William is the hardest-working player we have. He’s a leader. He is always here and he is always doing what he needs to do.”

That’s exactly the reputation Owens has spent years building.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound senior doesn’t believe talent separates football players.

Work does.

“I just work hard to be better than I was yesterday and to be better than the other guy,” Owens said. “I put in the work to try to motivate my teammate next to me.”

That mentality has made Owens the unquestioned leader of Westover’s defensive line entering the 2026 season.

Ironically, football wasn’t originally about sacks, tackles or Friday night lights.

It was about losing weight.

Owens remembers being heavier as a child and searching for a way to become more active. Football became that outlet.

By middle school, however, something changed.

He discovered he wasn’t just playing football.

He was good at it.

His passion for the game continued to grow under then-Westover defensive line coach Bo Daniels, who now serves as Monroe’s head coach.

Today, Owens has become exactly the kind of player Daniels and Joyner hoped he would.

His teammates see him first in the weight room.

They see him first at workouts.

They see him pushing the player lined up beside him.

Joyner believes that’s why Owens has become one of the most respected players in the Patriots’ locker room.

This offseason, Owens has helped lead a defensive unit determined to become one of the area’s best.

The Patriots have emphasized improving their pass rush while staying disciplined enough to contain athletic quarterbacks and eliminate running lanes.

“We’ve been working on our pass rush and containing the quarterback,” Owens said. “We’ve also been working on our base blocks to stop the run.”

Those improvements have only strengthened Owens’ confidence.

After Westover narrowly missed the playoffs last season, he believes the Patriots have everything necessary to surprise people this fall.

“This team has the courage and the work ethic to go 10-0 because of the work we put in,” Owens said.

The confidence isn’t empty talk.

It comes from months spent sweating through offseason workouts together.

Away from football, Owens is already preparing for life after high school.

The son of Latosha Carothers and Brison Miller, he is completing his senior year while taking dual-enrollment classes at Albany Technical College.

He plans to continue his education at Mercer University, where he hopes to study business.

His long-term dream, however, stretches far beyond the classroom.

He wants to play in the NFL.

Before that opportunity arrives, Owens has one final mission.

Lead Westover back to the playoffs.

And if his work ethic is any indication, don’t bet against him.