This summer, between his freshman and sophomore years at the University of Washington, Reggie Williams works as an office assistant in a Seattle investment firm.

Based upon the Husky wide receiver's initial public offering -- an eye-popping 55 receptions and 973 yards in 10 starts as a true freshman last season -- Williams' stock is soaring off the charts. A prep All-American from Lakes High in suburban Tacoma, Wash., Williams is better than advertised.

"He is bona fide,'' Washington coach Rick Neuheisel said. "He was an important recruit for us because he was highly visible and from our state. But he's exceeded what I thought he would bring to the table as a young player."

	UW's Reggie Williams was tough for the Pac-10- to stop last year.

About four months after his 18th birthday, Williams had a jam-packed Husky Stadium enthralled with a 74-yard gain in his historic, career-opening start against Michigan. By the end of the season, Williams owned Pac-10 freshman receiving records and shared the circuit's Freshman of the Year honor with Stanford receiver Teyo Johnson.

He made the transition from high school to college seem like child's play.

"I think it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I envisioned it being extremely hard," the 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pound Williams said.

"I wouldn't say it was easy, but it just wasn't as hard as I expected. From my peers and everybody else, I heard them say about how big the playbook is. And just the fact that I was going up against people who are five years older than me, this was going to be different from high school."

On Sept 8 against then-No. 11 Michigan in Husky Stadium, Williams became the first true freshman ever to start in his first game at Washington. He showed he belonged, catching four passes for 134 yards in a Huskies' upset victory. By game four, he recorded the second 100-yard receiving game of his career as the Huskies beat USC. In a victory over archrival Washington State, Williams set Apple Cup records with 11 receptions for 203 yards in another Huskies victory.

"He catches the ball, regardless," said USC's All-American safety Troy Polamalu. "That's the number one job of a receiver, whether he runs a good route or a bad one. He catches it. That's what he does best."

Memo to Michigan, the Huskies' foe in a Aug. 31 rematch: Williams has improved this summer.

"My footwork has gotten a lot better, my route-running, just little things about catching the ball and running your route," he said.

For someone who grew up admiring Deion Sanders, Williams seems surprisingly low- key off the field.

"He'll tease, and brag and do that stuff in jesting," Neuheisel said, "but when it comes down to playing, no one outworks him."

His parents, Wanda and Reginald Williams, Sr. taught him to work hard and expect more from himself.

"(I learned) that if there's something there for you, you've got to go take it,'' said Williams, who counts the namesake of the Bilentnikoff Trophy -- former Raider and Florida State great Fred -- among his receiving role models.

"Don't let anybody take what's yours."

Quarterback Cody Pickett ignited the Huskies' big-play attack. In his first year as a starter, Pickett became the only passer in Husky history to connect on three 70-plus-yard passes in a career. Williams had seven gains of 30 yards or more.

"Our chemistry is getting stronger and stronger every day," Williams said, "with passing, building that communication, friendship on and off the field."

What makes Williams so good?

"He's physical. He's fast, I'm not sure how fast he is, but being 6-4, 225, that's a great receiver," Pickett said, "who can jump, too."

With those type of skills, he's already drawing comparisons to the best in the NFL.

"He reminds me of Randy Moss. That's how impressive is he," former Washington State star safety Paul Sorensen said. "He's going to change the way the Pac-10 recruits receivers. You're starting to see bigger receivers now, when before (schools used to recruit) the track guys who could run the 10.3 100 meters. Now you're getting the big fast receivers. What's that going to mean? Schools are going to start recruiting, big fast strong defensive backs."

They better do it fast.

Sheldon Spencer is an editor at ESPN.com.