ENGLEWOOD, Colo — To understand how a guy can be cut 11 times before finally getting his chance, then once he finally makes it is given the unglamorous grunt work of eating up blockers so others can get the tackle glory, you’ve got to understand where DeShawn Williams came from.
His mom brought him into this world when she was 16. What were you up to when you were 16? Basically, mom gave up her life for baby DeShawn, who grew up to be 292 pounds.
"Oh man she tells me every day," Williams said with a smile during a sit-down interview with 9NEWS this week. "And I say, ‘I appreciate you doing that. You didn’t know what you were going to get, but I turned out to be pretty good so far."
He did and he has. After playing in just four games in his first five years as a professional, Williams will play in his 28th game and likely get his 18th start in the past two years Sunday when the Broncos play his former Cincinnati Bengals. They’re the team that cut him the first four times. A personal game besides a big team game with playoff implications for Williams?
"Yeah but no," Williams said. "If it was three years ago it would be a personal grudge versus these guys but they gave me my opportunity. And I can’t thank them enough. To the (Mike) Brown family, to the head coach at the time, Marvin Lewis. But to have the status of this game, it’s crazy how it added up. Both teams are 7-6, trying to make a playoff push and we’re at home, in Denver, at Mile High, Empower Field. So it’s written to be a great day."
Something else Williams believes is falling into place for him Sunday: His dad will be there. Ronald Williams was once a star running back for Clemson, rushing for 941 yards and 8 touchdowns in just 11 games as a freshman for Ken Hatfield’s Tigers. But injuries curtailed his production as a sophomore and junior and after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Bengals, Ronald Williams wound up in the Canadian Football League.
Where he became a record-setting champion. Ronald Williams accumulated nearly 8,300 yards rushing and receiving and 78 touchdowns and was a three-time All Star and Grey Cup champion during his eight years there. DeShawn wound up at Clemson and the Bengals, too, playing on the other side of the ball.
"So it’s kind of, how did that happen?" Williams said. "Watching VHS tapes of him when he was at Clemson in the 90s when Clemson had Brentson Buckner, Chester McGlocton and DeChane Cameron. That defense, whew, was amazing man. Watching him do what he do, I said I wanted to do that. And here I am now. It’s crazy. He’s coming to the game this week. It’s all lining up. It’s going to be a great day."
As you can tell from the stories about mom and dad, DeShawn was born with the perseverance gene. There was one cut that came with a better story than the others. Vance Joseph was the Bengals’ defensive backs coach in 2015, when Williams was breaking in as an undrafted rookie who spent that season on the practice squad. When Joseph became the Broncos’ head coach in 2018, it followed that Williams would sign with Denver and he spent 9 months of the offseason here before he was one of the final season-opening roster cuts.
"He gravitated toward how hard I worked in the weight room and on the field," Williams said. "And then when he got his head coaching opportunity here it was a no-brainer for me to come. And then when Bill (Kollar, the Broncos’ defensive line coach) had been here since Day 1 when I came in in 2018, I just loved his energy. He got the best out of all his players. His way, we all know how Bill is but you’ve got to love it because he keeps it honest and that’s what you ask for in this league is people keep it honest with you."
Williams almost had one more cut in the middle of that year. He was unofficially cut by the Broncos, about to leave Denver.
"I’m heading to go to Carolina, do the OTAs with the Carolina Panthers," Williams said. "Pam (Papsdorf, the Broncos’ personnel and coaching executive assistant) called and said Bill wanted to talk to me. He asked where I was and I said, "On the plane headed for Carolina. He said is there any way I can get off?’ So I called my agent and I loved it here in 2018. And somehow, some way, the pilot turned the whole plane around off the strip and pulled it back to the gate."
Talk about the power about being a Bronco. Even a back-of-the-roster Bronco.
"It wasn’t me, it was the man above," Williams said smiling. "Like I say, things happen for a reason. My spirit, I didn’t want to leave. Bill knew I didn’t want to leave. I think this organization knows I don’t want to leave so this is a great place for me."
As for the rest of the passengers, there were some gripes until the pilot got on the intercom and explained the situation.
"People in the back were like, ‘Aahh what is going on?’" Williams said. "But I told them, ‘Hey, I’m sorry.’ And they were like, ‘OK, we understand.'"
Williams has 71 tackles in his two seasons with the Broncos with 3.0 sacks, five pass deflections and 11 quarterback hits. After all those setbacks and humbling moments of hearing you’re not good enough, Williams was able to stay at it in large part because of his true love for playing the game of football.
"Yes, I feel I’m brought on this world to play football," he said. "I’m not the biggest, I’m not the tallest. But somehow, some way, I find my way to the ball. I just feel like I have a knack for football. I feel I’m made for it.
"It’s so fun because of what I went through. I’d rather do this, eat up blocks or whatever the case may be than go work at Amazon again. Not discrediting anybody that works but I’ve been playing this game since I was 5. This is a child’s game that we get paid great for. Me, I’m just very thankful. Whatever job they ask me to do I’m going to go do it 110 percent and have fun doing it."
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