In the realms of local success stories on the national stage, this one is already generating plenty of headlines.

The Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League officially drafted Stonewall Jackson High School 2008 graduate Ryan Williams Friday evening as the dynamic running back opted to enter the draft after skipping out of his senior year at Virginia Tech.

He earned a high spot as No. 38-overall in the draft, placing him near the start of the second round.

"We're all very ecstatic at Ryan's success," said Stonewall Jackson activities director Kevin Turner. "We like to think (his selection is) a reflection on what we brought for him but, honestly, he's been driven since the day I met him."

Williams, a 21-year-old Manassas resident born in New York, eclipsed the 3,000 total-yards mark during his four years starting at Stonewall Jackson and piled up a slew of games where he gained more than 200 yards in total offense.

He proved to be a multi-dimensional threat as a rusher, a receiver out of the backfield and a tricky kick returner whose foot skills could remind a casual football observer of Hall of Fame rushing great Barry Sanders.

Turner said that even after graduating Stonewall, Williams still returned to talk to at-risk teenagers as a volunteer. Turner added that he also trained at the SJ weight room during the off-season while playing for Virginia Tech.

According to the Web site for the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Ken Whisenhunt mentioned that Williams rarely fumbles and his team needed someone explosive in the backfield even though the team already features three talented backs.

"When you take the best players available in your opinion... we become a better football team," Whisenhunt said in the report.

For all of his dramatic flair on the field, Williams has had constant bouts with injuries dating back to his tenure in high school.

He missed more than half the season in his second year after sustaining an injury to his right knee. As a senior, he missed another three games and, when his hamstring this past season acted up at Virginia Tech, it forced head coach Jim Beamer to limit his carries while also missing four games.

Still, the Cardinals' staff looked past that and saw the all-American back Williams proved to be throughout his career.

After being red-shirted his freshman year of college, Williams started in all 13 games for the Hokies as a sophomore in 2009, tallying 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns out of the backfield on 293 rushing attempts. He caught an additional 16 passes for 180 yards and scored a

Aside from his own ability, what made Williams's stint at Stonewall Jackson all the more impressive is that he racked up the numbers he did while sharing time in the backfield with another superstar in Damien Thigpen for three out of four years.

When the two were healthy, the Raiders were nearly unstoppable, like when the team won back to back matches to start the 2007 season. Once the injury bug bit though, the Raiders lost six out of their next seven games.

Former Stonewall Jackson head coach Loren Johnson told TechSidelines.com prior to the 2008 season that Williams "has size, speed, (and) determination.

"He has a lot of those physical attributes," Johnson said back then. "His vision is his number one asset. He is blessed with a tremendous vision. He turns a 2-yard run into a 20-yard run."