I had been the editor of Little Rock Family for barely a month when I was approached about a possible piece on DJ Williams and his family. DJ was only in town for a few days before heading back to Green Bay. I had very little time to make my decision, do an interview, organize a photo shoot, and juggle my family’s schedule. But almost immediately, I responded “Yes!”

A day or two later, I scrambled into the elevator of the building where our interview was to take place, and turned to find DJ with his best friend and his girlfriend toting containers of barbeque for lunch. He filled the doorway not only with his stature, but with his smile and warmth. By the end of the elevator ride, I felt like I was simply visiting with a beloved student from my stint as a high school teacher, rather than talking to a pro football player and his pals.

Our jovial conversation continued to our interview destination. Being more concerned for others than himself, DJ offered me some of his lunch and asked if I needed anything. I thought, “People must pull him in so many directions, making demands on his time, and here he is asking me if I need anything.”

Clearly, DJ is an impact player not just for his incredible athleticism and talent on the field, but for his character and who he is as a human being.

DJ’s mother Vicky describes him as "child-like and trusting because he never got to be a child. Those are some of his best qualities. He tries to see the best in everybody and make every day special," she says. Vicky shares, "DJ used to never smile and talk. He was so insecure and shy, but God put the best people in our path." The Williams credit their faith in God, family bonds, and strong friendships with being able to persevere through their darkest times. Vicky says they never take anything for granted, because they know in a flash it could be taken away.

Vicky Williams met DJ’s father in high school. They married and had three children, Valerie, Vanessa and DJ. "He was my best friend. Things were great for about 10 years until he went through a couple of traumatic events and began to abuse drugs and alcohol. We also found out he was bi-polar."

DJ’s brilliant smile fades when sharing memories of his father and the pain his mother and family endured. "I was born in Fort Worth, but I remember we moved all over trying to get away from Dad. When he was around, he’d push me so hard to play sports. I cried, but I acted good because I feared him. It made me not want to play sports at all. My dad was a jealous, insecure person supercharged by drugs and alcohol."

DJ told the story of one of their moves. They were in Colorado. He was sitting on the couch watching cartoons when the television seemed to "explode" all of a sudden. His father, in a heated altercation with Vicky, threw a hammer that sailed by DJ's head and crashed into the television.

There were more events of pain and violence that made Vicky realize she had to make a drastic decision. In 1999, DJ’s father said he was taking him fishing. Instead, he stopped to make a drug deal, leaving a gun with then eleven-year-old DJ in case anyone "bothered him." DJ contemplated using the gun on himself. It was the first and only time he had ever considered suicide, and he told his mother what had transpired.

Soon after, Vicky's husband attacked her with an iron skillet, breaking it over her head. She placed her hand above her in defense right before the skillet made impact. To this day, the distorted shape of one finger is a visual reminder of her injuries.

While she and the kids were living in a shelter, they were notified Vicky's husband had shot a man eight times and was a fugitive. Shelter officials encouraged her to leave Texas. The family opened a map and little DJ pointed to Little Rock. They came to Arkansas with basically only the clothes on their backs and started a new life. He is serving a 25 year sentence in a Livingston, Texas maximum security prison. He is up for parole in 2013.

DJ found solace in his love of music, which began after hearing Alicia Keys' "Falling" on the car radio. Soon after, his oldest sister Valerie bought him a keyboard from Radio Shack. He then taught himself how to play by watching YouTube videos. While in school at Central Arkansas Christian he wanted to forgo sports and play in the band’s percussion section. CAC head football coach Tim Perry talked him into playing for a season. The rest is history. DJ refers to Coach Perry as a man who “taught us to be better football players and better men through Christ.”

After numerous accolades, awards and successes as a CAC Mustang and then a Razorback, DJ was drafted in 2011 by the Green Bay Packers. He humbly speaks of his new life as a Packer, “I may be undersized, but I am determined. I feel very blessed to be part of an organization led by great men of integrity. What the Packers are is what Green Bay and Wisconsin are.”

Vicky shares, "I am so proud of Valerie, Vanessa and DJ. They're all successful in their own ways. We've beaten the odds and have not let them beat us!"

(For more on support for victims of domestic abuse, see Hitting Too Close To Home: Vital Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence.)

DJ’s Advice for Dads

1. Do things with your kids because you want to, not because you have to.
2. Be an authority figure and a motivator in your child’s life.  
3. Sacrifice your own time for your family.
4. Protect and love your family.
5. Let your family know you love your wife…their mother.

Q&A

LRF:  What kind of dad do you want to be?
DJ:  I want to teach my kids it’s ok to fail because sometimes it can be the best teacher in life. I want them to be open with me and know family means everything to me.

LRF:  What advice do you have for kids today?
DJ:  Live life with no excuses. I knew drugs and alcohol wouldn’t lead me down the right path. Stand for what’s right even if you stand alone. You make your choice of who you want to be. Don’t stay down and take a breather. Keep fighting because your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.