National Collegiate Athletic Association

Latest News

« back to 2012 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index

This article appeared in the Winter 2012 issue of Champion magazine.

Victor Williams finds a home at Bridgewater (Virginia)

By Greg Johnson
NCAA.org

Victor Williams was born in a Unification Church-run community house in Washington, D.C.

From there, he went from homeless shelters and periods when he was living out of a car. Through it all, Williams and his three siblings made the most of it.

“One thing my mother (Rhonda) really stressed was our faith,” said Williams, who completed his senior season on the Bridgewater football team this fall. “With all the commotion and chaos going on, the constant was our faith in God, no matter where we were.” 

Another trait his mother emphasized was helping others.

“We participated in a lot of volunteer service,” Williams said. “We always saw people who had it worse than we did.” 

Williams also found solace in athletics, especially football. His skills as a defensive back led to his being recruited. He got a scholarship to William and Mary, but those plans evaporated after a coaching change.

“That taught me not to put all my eggs in one basket,” Williams said. “Once I decided on William and Mary, I stopped looking at other schools. It was a rude awakening, but Bridgewater kept talking to me through the process.”

After coming to grips with not playing at the Football Championship Subdivision level, Williams took a more mature approach.

“My spiritual relationship with God has grown, and I’ve come out of my shell more,” said Williams, who is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in health and physical education. “I’ve been able to meet people from different backgrounds and different walks of life. In the future, I know I want to be involved with sports and working with kids.”