Photo by Rick Kimball/ISD
Notre Dame Football
Dexter Williams Gaining Trust Back
April 24, 2017
4,164
Running back Dexter Williams showed flashes of turning the corner last fall camp, but an August arrest flipped the script for the 5-foot-11, 202-pounder.
Williams was arrested with four teammates and had to earn back the trust from the coaching staff during the season.
“I feel like I have grown a lot and finally getting used to being in South Bend and Notre Dame,” Williams said after the Blue-Gold Game. “I love who I am becoming, and I know I am not done yet.”
The Florida native hadn’t spoken to the media since the incident and was pretty open about letting the program and his family down last fall.
“I had to grow up a lot,” explained Williams. “I had to gain respect from my coaches and teammates. I had to begin to work even harder. I know I let a lot of people down. I let my family, coaches, and teammates down.
“I wanted to let them know it wouldn’t happen again and I would make the right decisions from here on out.”
“I definitely had to start over,” Williams said. “I have gained a lot of trust back from the coaches and my teammates. I tell them to stay on me about everything. I don’t want to take anything granted, and I love how they have taken me back in. They continue to motivate and push me too.
“I think about it every day. That could have been my last chance being at Notre Dame or playing football period. It’s on my mind daily. I just continue to place myself around positive people and continue to stay positive.”
On Saturday, Notre Dame fans saw the potential on the field, as Williams ran for 96 yards and a score on just nine carries. Williams admits he is playing for numerous people that serve as his motivation.
“Everything I do is for my mother,” he explained. “Whatever I am doing, I make sure it’s for her and also Greg Bryant. He is one of my motivations because we had a great relationship. For those two, I am willing to do anything. I will put my body through anything, and when I feel like something is hard, I think of those two people, God, and my dad. Those four play a big part in my life.”
As he works his way back up the depth chart, the Blue-Gold Game can serve as a major confidence builder for Williams during the offseason.
“It felt great to have a good game on the field with my brothers out there,” stated Williams. “My coaches were behind me, and it was good to have their trust to give me the ball. I went out there and had fun.”
Williams will also look to make sure the younger players don’t go down the wrong road.
“The young guys coming in – they are my brothers,” said Williams. “I don’t want to see them go through the same thing I went through. I stay on them as much as my coaches and teammates stay on me.
“I don’t want to see them go down that road. I want to see them be great and successful.”
Williams was arrested with four teammates and had to earn back the trust from the coaching staff during the season.
“I feel like I have grown a lot and finally getting used to being in South Bend and Notre Dame,” Williams said after the Blue-Gold Game. “I love who I am becoming, and I know I am not done yet.”
The Florida native hadn’t spoken to the media since the incident and was pretty open about letting the program and his family down last fall.
“I had to grow up a lot,” explained Williams. “I had to gain respect from my coaches and teammates. I had to begin to work even harder. I know I let a lot of people down. I let my family, coaches, and teammates down.
“I wanted to let them know it wouldn’t happen again and I would make the right decisions from here on out.”
tell them to stay on me about everything. I don’t want to take anything granted, and I love how they have taken me back in.
Williams carried the ball 39 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns in 2016, but the trust wasn’t there from everyone. This spring, the junior has made significant strides with the staff and the night of his arrest is always on his mind. “I definitely had to start over,” Williams said. “I have gained a lot of trust back from the coaches and my teammates. I tell them to stay on me about everything. I don’t want to take anything granted, and I love how they have taken me back in. They continue to motivate and push me too.
“I think about it every day. That could have been my last chance being at Notre Dame or playing football period. It’s on my mind daily. I just continue to place myself around positive people and continue to stay positive.”
On Saturday, Notre Dame fans saw the potential on the field, as Williams ran for 96 yards and a score on just nine carries. Williams admits he is playing for numerous people that serve as his motivation.
“Everything I do is for my mother,” he explained. “Whatever I am doing, I make sure it’s for her and also Greg Bryant. He is one of my motivations because we had a great relationship. For those two, I am willing to do anything. I will put my body through anything, and when I feel like something is hard, I think of those two people, God, and my dad. Those four play a big part in my life.”
As he works his way back up the depth chart, the Blue-Gold Game can serve as a major confidence builder for Williams during the offseason.
“It felt great to have a good game on the field with my brothers out there,” stated Williams. “My coaches were behind me, and it was good to have their trust to give me the ball. I went out there and had fun.”
Williams will also look to make sure the younger players don’t go down the wrong road.
“The young guys coming in – they are my brothers,” said Williams. “I don’t want to see them go through the same thing I went through. I stay on them as much as my coaches and teammates stay on me.
“I don’t want to see them go down that road. I want to see them be great and successful.”
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