Connor Williams will have his name called at the 2018 NFL Draft in short order. But prior to Thursday’s first round, the Texas offensive lineman addressed an impactful story that he wrote for NFL.com back in December about being bullied and overcoming the obstacles that came with that.
When NFL Network’s Michael Irvin asked Williams about the story on Thursday, he opened up about how he overcame the struggles.
.@TexasFootball OL Connor Williams (@Cwill) faced bullies growing up.
Now he’s walking the @NFLDraft Red Carpet! https://t.co/nFaQDb9Hnk
— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2018
“The theme of the story was adversity hits you in all shapes and sizes,” Williams said. “It’ll hit anybody throughout their life. It’s not about what type of adversity it is. It’s about how you respond to it. Fortunately enough, I had a family around me that was so influential in what I became. I’m just lucky to be there. I’m only here because of them.”
It’s hard to argue with that message. It’s even more difficult to argue with the success that Williams has had.
Obviously, he’s a long way from becoming an NFL star. But the Longhorns tackle will likely hear his name called sometime on Thursday night as a first round pick. Clearly, his family did wonders to help him overcome the adversity that was thrown his way.