Heart Over Hurdles

Williams expresses the uphill battle he fought in the early stages of rehab. 

“It was really hard at first because the hardest part in that initial rehab is when you feel like your leg literally doesn't work,” Williams said. “I was stressing a lot because since I started behind a lot of kids, I felt like I really needed to make up the time that I'd lost training, and if I was going to lose a full year, I didn't know if I could do it.”

Despite his devastating injury, Williams still stayed persistent to his goal of playing collegiate soccer. Throughout his junior year, Williams took the time away from the game to hone in not only on his strength, but his overall skillset. 

If you were ever looking for Williams, you would most likely find him in the fitness center in the Thompson Gymnasium. Whether he was doing foot speed drills, heavy lifting, or improving his technical ability with the ball, Williams became a gym rat overnight, hoping that all of his rehab work done in the dark would shine in the light.

Going into his senior year, Williams was eager to get back onto the pitch following a grueling year-long recovery process. Despite the pressure of college recruitment, Williams shined, scoring 5 goals, and provided elite playmaking and veteran leadership to his Brimmer team. 

Former boys varsity soccer coach Chris Hardman expresses Williams' impact on the team and his attitude throughout recovery.

“In his senior year, he had great leadership,” Hardman said. “He was positive the entire time, whether it was his injury or we were having team results that we shouldn't have had.” 

Despite the successful season, though, colleges were not pulling the trigger on offering Williams a spot on their team. As Williams continued to extend his recruitment through his senior winter and into the Spring, it remained unclear where Williams would be playing college soccer in his future. 

It was all until a call from Emerson College, where Williams found an opportunity for the next level.

“It was very last-minute, “ Williams said. “My coach for my club team is the assistant coach for Emerson, so he had told me that if you're interested in Emerson, let me know, so I kind of just threw it in my application randomly, and I didn't really have the idea that I was going to go there until very late on in the process.”

A week before the May 1st decision deadline, Williams received an official offer from Emerson and ended up committing to play for the Lions a few days later. Williams expresses the relief that his commitment brought him, as all of his hard work paid off.

“I didn't even know I was going to be in this place in the first place,” Williams said. “Most definitely. I'm looking forward to the future.”

As Williams' first season at Emerson has kicked off, he has learned to adjust to the pace and physicality of the collegiate game, as well as to integrate himself into student-athlete life. Whether it’s completing schoolwork in the dining commons before practice or prioritizing his recovery after games, Williams has quickly adapted to the energetic, fast-paced environment that makes up the student-athlete experience. 

Williams expresses his gratitude for his college experience so far.

“I love my coaches, my team, and the culture we have created,” Williams said. “It’s been a fun time, and just being on the team in general is just a blessing.”

Up until this point, Williams has poured his blood, sweat, and tears into making his dream of stepping on a collegiate soccer pitch possible. Throughout the major setback he experienced, Williams' grit and perseverance reigned supreme, and ultimately his tireless work paid off to find him a home with the Lions. 

“I’m getting better every day,” Williams said. “I’m far from letting up.