Former football star gets 10-year term for attacking woman

Former Bolingbrook High School football star Kyle Williams, who briefly played college football at Purdue, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday morning in DuPage County for his attack on a woman in Lisle in February 2006.

According to the DuPage County state's attorney's office, Williams pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault and accepted the 10-year sentence.

Williams remains in custody in DuPage County, but will be transferred soon to Indiana, where he will begin serving a 37-year sentence for his attacks on two female students in Lafayette in November 2005.

Last July, a Tippecanoe, Ind., jury convicted Williams of attempted rape, battery and confinement for his role in two beatings that occurred on the campus of Purdue University Nov. 29, 2005.

While out on bail less than three months later Williams, 21, was arrested and charged with attacking a woman in a parking lot of Four Lakes of Lisle on Feb. 12.

According to prosecutors, Williams was driving a vehicle owned by his girlfriend when he followed a vehicle driven by the victim into her apartment complex garage. When she got out to walk to the entrance door of the apartment complex, Williams knocked her to the ground, then punched and began choking her.

At the time of Williams' arrest, Lisle police reported the victim said Williams got on top of her and began to choke her, but when the woman fought back and screamed Williams got up and went to his parked car.

The victim told police Williams then returned briefly to pick up his car keys, which he had dropped, then went back and drove off.

The victim's description of the vehicle led to the arrest of Williams.

Lisle police interviewed Williams a few days later and arrested him Feb. 17.

Police said Williams gained access to his girlfriend's vehicle while she was at work in the Lisle area.

Coming out of high school in June 2005, Williams was one of the most heavily recruited football stars in the nation after a stellar career. He played linebacker and running back during his sophomore and junior years, but converted to linebacker as a senior at Bolingbrook High School.

Initially recruited by the University of Iowa, Williams eventually enrolled at Purdue and played as a true freshman in seven games during the 2005 Big Ten season.

But on Nov. 15, 2005 -- less than two weeks before he attacked the two women on campus -- he was released from the Purdue University football team, according to Jeanne Norberg, director of Purdue's University Relations Department.

As a senior at Bolingbrook High School, Williams was listed as the No. 12 recruit in the country by recruiting service Rivals.com. That same year, he compiled a 37-1 record as a varsity wrestler, finishing third in the state.

Don Grigas can be reached at dgrigas@mysuburbanlife.com