Getty Quinnen Williams, formerly of the Alabama Crimson Tide, has a strong family standing behind him.
A hulking 6’3, 303-pound interior lineman out of Alabama, Quinnen Williams is a prototypical interior pass rusher for modern NFL. Despite moving over to his new position this season, Williams had an incredibly dominant season at Alabama, racking up 19.5 tackles for loss along with 8 sacks. For an interior lineman, those numbers are otherworldly.
Heading into the NFL Draft, Williams seems like a surefire top-five selection and a darkhorse candidate to possibly be taken first overall. Cut from the Aaron Donald mold of slightly undersized but incredibly slippery interior lineman, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Williams quickly work his way into the conversation for the best interior defensive lineman down the road.
Having faced considerable adversity in his life, Quinnen Williams’ family has been a steadying force for him through his ups and downs.
Heres what you need to know.
1. Quinnen Williams’ Mother Passed Away in 2010 After A Battle With Cancer
Quinnen Williams | A boy who lost his mom, a kid nicknamed Big Baby, a “sneaker head,” a player who calls his sacks & a bench warmer-to-top #NFL pick
On the rise of Q, told from his grandma’s living room. “How,” he says, “did I make it to this moment?”
Tragically, Quinnen Williams’ mother passed away in 2010 after an extended battle with cancer. Marquischa Henderson Williams actually beat the cancer into remission about five years earlier and hid the fact that it had made a return until she was forced into an emergency room trip on July 4th of 2010.
Marquischa was a first-grade teacher and helped to instill a lifelong respect for hard work and learning in Quinnen. Despite leaving school early to pursue a career in the NFL, Williams promised his family that he would return to Alabama to finish up his college degree.
2. Why is Quinnen Williams’ Grandfather in a Wheelchair?
Quinnen’s grandfather, Charles Henderson, suffered a brain aneurysm followed by multiple seizures. As a result, doctors were forced to amputate his right leg and he now uses a wheelchair.
Despite dealing with many physical setbacks, Henderson has proved to be a steadying influence for Quinnen and his siblings. Henderson was one of the biggest factors in helping the family get through the loss of their mother and continually reminds them to “Prove you’ve been listening to your mom this whole life.”
3. Who is Quinnen Williams’ Brother, Quincy Williams?
Quinnen’s older brother, Quincy, played football at Murray State. Quincy is finished his last year of eligibility in 2018 and is turning his attention to going pro. Although expected to be undrafted, Quincy turned quite a few heads when the Jaguars reached all the way up to the third round to take Quincy with the 98th overall pick. While making an NFL roster can be difficult, Quincy projects to be a versatile defensive player with very solid speed. Those skills, specifically his speed, could help make Quincy a very useful player at the next level.
Quincy ran into some academic trouble during high school and had many of the major programs recruiting him back off out of fear that he wouldn’t be eligible academically for the NCAA. However, Williams turned things around academically and was cleared to play at the next level. While many of the major programs came crawling back, Williams decided to side with Murray State, who had stood by him and kept their offer through his entire ordeal.
4. Who is Quinnen Williams’ Father?
Quinnen Williams’ father is Quincy Williams Sr., the namesake of Quinnen’s older brother. Quincy made some major adjustments to his life after Marquischa passed and was instrumental to helping keep his three boys (and a daughter) on the right track.
Sports Illustrated – Quincy Sr. and Yvarta had much the same outlook when it came to helping four children through the grieving process — keep them moving and keep them busy. Yvarta recalls an immediate emotional shutdown among the kids and felt keeping them active was the best way to combat it. Quincy left his job, and its night-shift hours, and started his own company as a computer programmer to be more available to the children.
Quincy also encouraged the trio of Williams boys to buy whatever pink football accessories they wanted for breast cancer awareness month as a well to help honor their mother while doing something they loved. Money wasn’t an object when it came to honoring Marquischa and Quincy did everything he could to help make sure his children carried on her memory.
5. Quinnen Williams Plans To Buy His Grandmother A Car With His First Paycheck
After his family rallied around him following the passing of his mother, his grandmother stepped up and played an incredibly important role in his life. Also a teacher, like Quinnen’s mother, Yvarta Henderson made sure to help keep Quinnen on the straight and narrow.
When asked what his plans for his first paycheck, Williams didn’t hesitate.
“I think I’m gonna buy my grandma a car or something like that. Maybe some jewelry,” Williams added, “Because she doesn’t really wear jewelry.”
Whichever direction Williams chooses, car or jewelry, I’m sure his grandmother is simply more than happy that her daughter’s son is seeing the fruits of his hard work.