Will Likely will take his usual spot as one of Maryland's top pass defenders this season. He’ll return kicks and punts as he has throughout a career that’s produced a half-dozen special teams touchdowns. A role on offense is a near-certainty for the Maryland senior.

 

He casually shrugs off the significance of his versatility. It’s a trait that’s defined him since he began playing football in Belle Glade, Fla.

 

And it’s most definitely the first thing that came to mind when he was playing video games growing up and could create his own character.

 

Naturally, he started at quarterback. And defensive back. And kick returner. Think a virtual Darren Sproles, only with the ball in his hands even more.

 

“My man played everything,” Likely said. “I was kind of selfish on the video game.”

Only one of those two sentences is true of Likely as he enters his final season with the Terrapins. Yes, he is the most recognizable player on the roster as Maryland enters its first season under coach DJ Durkin. And there’s no question the man who was a first-team All-America punt returner last season and landed on the all-Big Ten first team as a corner and a return man will be all over the field.

 

But there’s nothing selfish about Likely, just a desire to finish matters in College Park on a winning note.

 

“I’m most proud of Will for the leadership role he’s taken on since we’ve been here, making the decision to come back,” Durkin said. “He did it the right way and he did it for the right reasons. He talked to the right people and made a great decision. I’m interested to see him grow as a leader.”

 

This was the push from Durkin almost immediately after Likely opted to remain at Maryland for his senior season. It was the message from new defensive backs coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim. And it’s something Likely gave serious thought about as the final winter and spring of his college career unfolded.

 

It’s new and, for someone as a versatile as Likely, also a rarity: Something a bit outside of his comfort zone.

“I’m finally buying into it,” Likely said. “People always looked at me as a leader, but I never really wanted to take the role. I was more of an ‘I’ll show you’ type of person rather speaking. I always learned talking really didn’t get you anywhere. I see where it’s taken me and how I can better myself and better my game, too. Coach has been harping on me to make sure everybody’s on the same page.”

 

For this year’s Terrapins, there isn’t a better candidate on the roster to provide guidance. Likely’s on-field credentials are well-established. He’s on track to graduate in December. He’s provided stability through a time of great change at Maryland: Consecutive bowl bids, a move to the Big Ten and a coaching change that brought in an entirely new staff.

 

Plenty, past and present, have had their say on how Maryland arrived at its 3-9 season in 2015 and where it can go moving forward. Perhaps no one will be listened to in the Terps’ locker room more than Likely.

 

“It’s the old saying: Speak low and carry a big stick,” Abdul-Rahim said. “That’s Will Likely. When he does speak, it’s profound. And you know it’s not just fluff. You get some players and some coaches in this profession who just love to talk, and sometimes it just gets drowned out. It’s more about the content than anything else.”

 

To understand two of Likely’s most evident characteristics --- his natural preference to show rather than tell, and his ability to make an impact all over the field --- it helps to understand what it is like to grow up in Belle Glade.

 

The subject of the book “Muck City,” the town of less than 20,000 has endured its share of economic struggles. But few places produce talented and motivated football players on a per capita basis any better.

 

“It’s a real small area,” Likely said. “You don’t have the typical malls or movie theaters to go to. There’s only one middle school. There’s one high school. Everybody knows each other. We always joke around that if you can make it in Belle Glade, you can make it anywhere. But it really is a true statement. There’s a lot of violence. It’s easy to be a follower. There’s not many people who are leaders. There’s a lot of opportunity, but we don’t have the resources like that. It’s one of those places where you have to find your way.”

 

Likely determined growing up that football could be his. Size (he is now 5-foot-7) was never going to be a deterrent. Taking advantage of any opportunities that arose was a priority.

 

The more he played, the more doors opened for him.

 

“Honestly, I’ve been playing since I was 5,” Likely said. “Everybody down there has been playing. True statement: I might not be the best player to make it out of there, but I’m one of the selected ones to make it out. That’s how we see it. It’s another opportunity; it’s our meal ticket. We’re good at it, so why not?”

 

And what made Likely so good? Speed, for certain. By the time his high school career began, the ways he could impact a game multiplied.

 

“I didn’t play DB until my freshman year of high school,” Likely said. “I was always playing running back. That was my main position. I got to high school and said ‘Let me try this DB thing’ and kind of liked it. It was weird at first, but I ended up liking it.”

 

So much so that it became what he was most known for as a high school player. His skills as a corner not only got him a scholarship to Maryland but a place in the starting lineup for nearly his entire freshman year.

 

He was a mainstay for two seasons as the Terps reached consecutive postseason games. But as last year began to unravel, a long-running dialogue with former offensive coordinator Mike Locksley added some urgency.

 

“It started as a joke, but I was always dead serious,” Likely said. “One day, I came up to his office leading up to the Ohio State game and said ‘Put me on offense. Whatever I have to learn, I have to learn.’ He saw that I was serious and it went [from there].”

 

Likely would make five receptions and rush 11 times for a pair of touchdowns the rest of the way, and it wasn’t hard to envision him remaining a part of the Terps’ offense in his senior year --- as long as there was a senior year.

 

Abdul-Rahim’s first job upon being hired was to recruit Likely to stick around and serve as the backbone of this year’s secondary. When he turned on some clips from last season and pointed out not only the things Likely did well but also what he needed to work on, Likely eagerly responded.

 

Ultimately, he opted to remain at Maryland rather than turn pro. He needs two credits this semester to complete his communications degree.

 

“I think him making the decision to graduate and come back for his senior year, that’s a grown-up decision,” Abdul-Rahim said. “You grow up going through that process because that’s a life-changing process.”

 

For Likely, plenty went into his decision. Deep down, he detested the thought of leaving after the program endured such a rough year.

 

“Just me being a competitor, you always want to go out with a win,” Likely said. “At the end of the day, I’m not a loser. That’ll never happen. I just want to end it the right way. Also, coming back to get that degree, it means the most. It’s something no one can take away from you.  Coming back and playing with my brothers, the people I came in with, we all have the same goals. I wanted to take another shot at it.”

 

And there was a subtle bonus, too. September provides two opportunities to head back to the Sunshine State and play in front of his family and friends. The Sept. 9 trip to Florida International took him a little more than an hour within home, and the Sept. 17 game at Central Florida is a manageable drive from Belle Glade.

 

“Definitely excited,” Likely said. “I haven’t played at home since freshman year at Florida State. Just going back home and playing, you know you’re home. The air is just different. It just smells different.”

 

About the only thing Likely won’t do as a senior is play an unexpected role. Teammates, in particular, anticipate an impact in all areas.

 

“It’s no surprise here,” linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. said. “He’s been doing it since his freshman year. He’s shown that he can play defensively. When he got the chance to go return the ball, punt return and kick return, he showed he can do that. He had flashes on offense last year and showed he had the ability to play on the offensive side of the ball.”

 

Still, it’s easy to marvel at a player influencing so much in an era of specialization. Broadcasters are likely to gush about his rare versatility throughout Maryland’s season, and he’ll pop quickly on opposing scouting reports --- whether it’s for offense, defense or in the return game.

 

Yet for Likely, it’s just the way he imagined it on those video games growing up.

 

“It’s just something I’ve been doing,” Likely said. “It’s nothing new to me. It’s new to some people because they’ve never seen it, but you go back to my hometown and the people I played with in high school, they know that it’s nothing new. It’s been going on. It’s just one of those things you kind of laugh it.”

 

So what, exactly, will Will Likely do next?

 

For starters, there are his succinct aims for the season.

 

“Big Ten championship,” Likely said. “That’s it.”

 

That’s it?

 

“That’s it,” he repeated. “That’s the only goal.”

 

He should have a hand in whatever success the Terps enjoy. He’s started 37 games (and counting) during his career, a number certain to grow this year. His place in the return game is unquestioned, though it’s fair to wonder if opponents will give him the chance to replicate his early-season dominance last season in the punt return game.

 

And, yes, he’ll pop up in new offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s scheme as well.

 

“He is a dynamic football player,” Durkin said. “I know that from coaching on the other sideline. That’s a guy you’re worried about. He’s excited about it and so are we. We’re going to utilize him in all three phases of the game. That’s what’s best for our team and what’s best for him.”