Herb Zurkowsky
The Gazette

He might play professional football for a living, but that's not the essence of Keron Williams. There's so much more behind the makeup of the 24-year-old defensive tackle who burst into prominence this season, his first with the Alouettes.

"At a young age, no one ever expressed to me the word can't," he said. "My duty always has been to conquer things. That's something that only seemed natural. When I want to do it, my mindset is to try to do it."

Williams lives a full and complete life. He has been playing the piano since age 6, tackling it earnestly once he became a teenager. He draws and is completing a degree in graphic design at the University of Massachusetts during the offseason. He edits video and, this season, produced highlight videos for his teammates. He doesn't charge them, but any money raised from the additional copies, which sell for $30 to $50, will be donated to a Montreal-based children's charity.

This renaissance man will also give you a haircut after having perfected his craft on his two younger brothers.

And, should he remain in Montreal indefinitely, the 6-foot-1, 261-pound Williams has visions of becoming a leader on defence. After recording a team-high 10 sacks this season along with being named to the CFL's players' association all-star team, that could be close to fruition.

"I've got an artistic mind. It has always intrigued me," said Williams, who graduated with a degree in fine arts. "I went back to school for the spring semester, figuring I couldn't just play ball. That medium isn't my first choice, but I figured (graphic design) is a profession on the rise."

Williams is yet another CFL player raised by a single parent. And like many others, he overcame the obstacle and hardship of not having a father figure in his life, eventually turning to athletics as an outlet. He hasn't seen, or had contact with, his father since before college, when they met in Toronto.

His mother, Ivanah Thomas, was only 16 when she gave birth to Williams in Jamaica. His grandmother, Beverly Rose, took him to New York as an infant, teaching him many of his values.
Raised spiritually, Williams began playing the piano at church to retain his interest. Years later, he learned an important lesson. "When you play, all the pretty girls are attracted to you."

Later in life, with two siblings looking up to him, Williams was put to work around the house, cooking and cleaning. He embraced the challenge.

"My grandma wouldn't let me watch cartoons in the kitchen on Saturday mornings," said Williams who doesn't play video games - one pastime many of his teammates are consumed by on the road to kill time. "Cleanliness was next to Godliness. I was cooking by the time I was 12 or 13. You name a Jamaican dish, I can whip it up."

He didn't begin playing football until his junior year in high school; his mother wanting him to pursue an education. Eventually, he convinced her football not only provided an outlet, it would also allow him to get a scholarship into college.

Undersized for his position, Williams nonetheless thrived due to his speed and agility against slower, bigger and less-mobile offensive linemen. He had a nose for the ball and was a natural playmaker. He spent four years at Massachusetts and thrived as a senior, recording 56 tackles, four quarterback sacks and 10.5 tackles for losses. He was named to the Atlantic-10 first all-star team in 2005.

Although he had six sacks with Calgary last season - second-highest on the team - he was released by the Stampeders two weeks before the start of training camp; new defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones was seeking a bigger body frame. Williams immediately called the Als, where he was reunited with co-ordinator Tim Burke and linebackers coach Casey Creehan.

That Montreal and Calgary are meeting in tomorrow's Grey Cup, to Williams, is nothing more than coincidental. The only message he wants sent to the Stamps and quarterback Henry Burris is to expect a pass rush.

As for his future, not even Williams is sure. He's heading into the option year of his contract, leading to the possibility of him trying out for an NFL team. Regardless, there should be a full and wholesome life for Williams after football, sometime well into the future. Burke this week said he can see Williams becoming a successful entrepreneur.

"Everything I've become has to do with my upbringing ... my morals and values," he explained. "My mindset always has been to be a leader and conquer all facets. People like me come around once in a blue moon."

Courtesy of: www.montrealgazette.com