FSU Star Uses Troubled Past to Share Hope with At-Risk Youth
March 2003
BreakawayTV caught up with former Seminole offensive lineman,
Todd Williams in Orlando, Florida where he is in training
camp anticipating the coming NFL draft. Todd recently graduated
from Florida State University with a double major in criminology
and sociology and was the recipient of the NCAA Inspiration
Award.
Todd's story will be featured in the upcoming
Breakaway video series that will be focusing on bringing
hope to incarcerated kids through the stories of Todd and
others.
As a child, Todd didn't think of himself
as college material. His mother abandoned him when he was
9, and he never knew his father who was gunned down on the
streets near Bradenton. He was raised by his grandmother
who passed away when he was 15. Rather than live with a
foster family, Todd headed to Miami where he lived on the
streets, stealing hubcaps and CDs to sell for money so he
could buy food. On some nights, Williams broke into an empty
hotel room. On others, he slept in a dumpster. He was in
and out of juvenile detention centers.
Todd heard from many people that he would
become nothing more than a career offender... but God had
other plans. It was while locked up in a juvenile detention
center that Todd heard the Gospel. Todd made a conscious
decision to accept Jesus Christ but admitted that things
were still tough. A church helped him get a low-income apartment
and Todd made the disciplines to get his high school diploma.
Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden
had initial doubts about recruiting Todd, but a guidance
counselor, pastor and coach advocated for him. At FSU, Williams
got involved with a weekly Bible study and found a spiritual
mentor in team chaplain, Clint Purvis. He was a starter
for two years before graduating in December, 2002.
His goal, naturally, is to play in the NFL,
but that's not his main goal. He wants to be a motivational
speaker for at-risk youth. "I want to deal with the forgotten
kids. The bottom of the barrel kids. The ones who have been
written off. I felt people counted me out, too," says Todd.
Update: Todd Williams was drafted
in the 7th round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Tennessee
Titans (225th overall).
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