“I’ve been in the same shoes,” he said of the students. “It’s just something that hits really close to home with me.” As the students flipped through the magazines, Williams listed the objectives he wanted each of them to accomplish. He wanted them to attend a college and graduate. He wanted them to live in a nice home when they become adults. He wanted them to love people. Above all, Williams wanted to see each student’s vision board show their dream job. “I’ve been fortunate enough,” Williams said, “to have a lot of my dreams come true.”
Earlier this year, before the Chiefs began training camp, Williams got into a car with Ursula Copeland, his mother. With Copeland driving, Williams looked through the passenger-seat window at his hometown. The mother and her youngest child had made such a drive before in Williams’ four-year NFL career. Each time, though, Williams noticed something new about his city. He marveled at the ongoing improvements of the city’s downtown area. The trips always remind him of his childhood. “I see signs for Gates,” Williams said of his favorite barbecue restaurant. “That’s huge to me. My Mom still lives in the same place we grew up. It’s great to get reminded of where you’re from.” A few times, Copeland has driven through the landmarks in Grandview, a community south of the city. The car usually went past the fields where Williams, 26, began playing football. In his childhood, Williams followed Kristen Hardaway and Rodrick Williams, his older siblings. Copeland, a single mother, taught her children every sport she could to keep them occupied and energetic. All three children played in the South Suburban Junior Football Association. Everyone in the league labeled Williams the same way: Kristen’s or Rodrick’s little brother. “Kristen is actually, I think, the best athlete in the family,” said Andy Leech, who coached all three players at Grandview High. “She was incredible. She was our best offensive lineman her freshman year. She dominated.” Rodrick said he and his brother Xavier had an advantage over other players in their league. Kristen beat and bullied them for about a decade. As a high school freshman, Hardaway was a guard who finished the season as a starter for the junior-varsity team. While she didn’t keep playing for Grandview High, Hardaway continued her career as a linebacker for the San Antonio Regulatorsof the semi-professional Independent Women’s Football League. Each of Copeland’s children received her genetic gifts. As a star track athlete, Copeland loved football so much that she played quarterback for the Crunch, a Kansas City women’s team, with her children in the stands. “Her standards for her kids were about as high as any parent we’ve ever been around,” said Leech, now an assistant principal at Martin City Middle School, of Copeland. “She made sure that everybody around her kids was accountable. She had a bit of swagger to her. She’s a really cool lady, and her three unbelievable kids really stem from her.” 98