The Wildcat Tribune
From Katrina to the Hill: Kendall Williams Talks Friends, Family, and FootballMonday, October 24, 2011 By Johnathan Parks
Senior and Charging Wildcats running back Kendall Williams knows football will continue to be a significant part of his life, even beyond high school. With prospective colleges lining up and big decisions for the future in the works, Williams reminisces about his high school experiences on the field and looks towards dreams of playing for the NFL. Williams came to Arkansas from Georgia after being driven from his home in New Orleans due to Katrina. He was never interested in football until connections with the right people amped up his drive and his spirit for the game. Today, Williams reflects on the success that friends, family, and teachers have encouraged him to have and is thankful for the support he received throughout his time here to be the best player he can be. Here is an account of William’s experiences in his own words: “What encouraged me to play football was when I was growing up is that football was all around me. I use to watch Reggie Bush all the time when I was little and told myself I want to be like him when I get older. “I was 7-years-old when I got my first football and I used to play catch with my older cousins in the front yard all the time. After the hurricane Katrina my family and I move to Atlanta, Georgia with my aunt. I use to run the streets with my older cousins. I stayed in trouble. I was in trouble so much that my parents decided that we had to move someplace else, so we moved to Arkansas. “It was hard being in a new state not knowing anyone especially starting a new school I was nervous but then I met Herb Crossgrow. He came from New Orleans too and he had been through the same thing I had been through, so I wasn’t nervous anymore. “Herb was my boy. He played football in the 7th grade. He was good; one of the fastest 7th graders I have ever seen play football. He always tried to get me to play football, but I never wanted to play. I didn’t think I was ready, but when the 9th grade came around I decided to play. “I wasn’t that good though. I couldn’t hold on to the ball, but when I got to the 10th grade and started playing football with Coach Bolding, he used to stress to me how good I could be if I worked hard during off-season. I went to off-season for two years straight and by my junior year I was a division 1 college football big, all because of the hard work I put into off-season. “Since I have been here playing football for North Little Rock I really enjoyed it because the coaches make me feel at home and every player on the team treats me like I’m their brother and I love that. If it wasn’t for the hard work I put into off-season or the talks that my mother and father gave me to keep me interested in football I wouldn’t be what I am today. I have been through a lot. That's what made me the high school football player I am today.” |