I
n a day when marriage, family, a sense
of community and a willingness to help
others is often overshadowed by person-
alities more interested in self and selfies
than lending a helping hand—and when it’s
getting harder by the hour to tell what’s real
and who’s for real—I found talking to Byron
Williams, former NFL wide receiver and
Texas Hall of Famer, to be refreshing and
inspiring.
Williams, who was drafted by the
Green Bay Packers and played for 13 years
in the NFL, CFL and World League,
achieved his greatest accomplishments
with the New York Giants from 1983 to
1986 playing his best NFL game in 1984
against the Philadelphia Eagles where he
completed five catches for 167 yards and
a 65-yard touchdown. And in his rookie
year, Williams set a record in just three
games with 20 catches totaling 346 yards
and a 46 yard touch downs against the
Raiders. Williams and current player, Odell
Beckman, Jr., are the only players that
have recorded back-to-back over 100 yards
receiving in consecutive Giants games.
Earlier this year, Williams was enshrined
in the 2017 Class of the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame, where he was honored for his
achievements both on and off the field along
with George Foreman, Eric Dickerson and
other outstanding athletes. Williams joins
the ranks of this very elite group of Texans
along with good friends and prior recipients,
Ed “Too Tall” Jones, of the Dallas Cowboys
and Tim Brown, NFL Hall of Famer and
Heisman Trophy winner. For the past four
years, Williams has served as President of
the Dallas Chapter of the NFL Players Asso-
ciation providing support for approximately
700 retired players. His innovative programs
and initiatives have become legendary and
the benchmark for other chapters. The
respect garnered from his tireless efforts
played a big part of his current role. He
now serves on the Board of Directors for
the NFL Players Association’s Dallas Fort
Worth, Houston and Denver Chapters.
Yet, when you’re speaking to Williams,
you aren’t likely to hear him talk a lot about
his accomplishments with the League.
His conversation quickly turns to his love
for the Lord, his family and the young
people whose lives he touches through
sports. He is a coach, mentor, role model
and father figure to many. He has been
Nflpa group $2,500 scholarship Readers are Leaders Programs,
donated over 50,000 books
www.himpowermagazine.com 7