PEARCY -- Students and staff at Lake Hamilton Intermediate School donned Arkansas Razorback gear Tuesday to celebrate a visit from a former football standout.
Television personality D.J. Williams, a former tight end for the Razorbacks and several NFL teams, spoke to the entire student body Tuesday in the school gymnasium. Williams won the John Mackey Award, presented to the nation's top collegiate tight end, and 2010 Disney Spirit Award as college football's most inspirational player in his senior year at Arkansas.
Hot Springs has been a popular destination for Williams in recent months. He said he enjoys visiting schools and events in the area.
"It's the Spa City," Williams said. "A lot of events come here. A lot of people gravitate toward Hot Springs."
Williams spoke to several hundred students in the region at an event hosted by the Southwest Arkansas College Preparatory Academy at National Park College in June. He was the keynote speaker for the Arkansas School Counselor Association and Arkansas Department of Education School Counselor Conference in July and he spoke to Fountain Lake students in August. He also shared the story of how he met his girlfriend, a former Lake Hamilton student, in Hot Springs over the Fourth of July holiday.
"I love this place," Williams said. "I have been back and forth. Finally, I've started getting into going to the races. It is a really cool place and I enjoy it. I'm assuming now, with my girlfriend, I will be visiting quite a bit more."
Williams happened to pass by an incident on Malvern Avenue on his way into Hot Springs Tuesday morning. He posted video to social media of a Hot Springs police officer pulling a girl from the edge of a bridge (see related article).
"My girlfriend was in the passenger seat crying," Williams said. "She was really emotional. It blew my mind. To come here and talk to kids about choices they are going to make and how it affects them and not falling under peer pressure, it blows my mind people think that is the answer.
"Me coming talking to these kids and, if they are in that situation, giving them any kind of hope for tomorrow makes this all worth it."
Williams said he was lucky not to have social media when he was growing up. He said he was often picked on in school as his family lived in homeless shelters in Little Rock.
"At least I got to go home and get away from it," Williams said. "Now, you all have to deal with this pressure that social media is bringing to you."
Williams said many social media users post updates and photos in an effort to be cool. He said others are left envious of certain lifestyles.
"Guess what, those pictures are fake," Williams said. "They are filtered. Some people just post this life on social media that is not even true. People are trying to chase something that never really exists."
Williams visits many schools and speaks to various groups to encourage positive decisions. He said he felt early on in his life that maintaining a positive attitude and putting forth extra effort would be key to his future success.
"I feel like you are going to come across so many decisions that you need to make and a lot of people do not understand the choices you make follow you," Williams said. "They have such a big impact on your life."
The positive approach enabled Williams to accomplish his goals of playing football for Arkansas and in the NFL. He told students of a recruiting visit by former Razorback coach Houston Nutt.
"I get goose bumps talking about him," Williams said. "He said, 'D.J., you're my man. I want you to come to school and be a Razorback.' I said, 'Where do I sign? I can't wait.'"
Williams told students he continued to work hard when he made it to the Fayetteville campus in 2007 as a freshman. He said he performed better in early workouts than two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden, All-American running back Felix Jones and star fullback Peyton Hillis. All three played at least six seasons in the NFL.
"I'm leaving those guys in the dust, or I thought I was," Williams said. "They just weren't running very hard. Darren McFadden saw that and he came up to me and said, 'I'm about to put you in your place, freshman.'
"He ran so fast. He made me look so slow and unathletic. He was, by far, the greatest athlete I have ever been around."
Williams travels to cover every Razorback football game, including a road game on Saturday against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Williams vowed to send 700 autographs to the school for every student.
"Flying across the country and watching all of these Razorback games, all of that is fun, but I probably have a little bit different perspective than most in those situations," Williams said. "I was that kid in the stands and when people would come talk, I would actually wish what they were saying would come true one day.
"I listened to those people. I think it is very special that I can go and attempt to do the same thing."
Local on 10/04/2017