Quinnen Williams playing to make his late mother proud

Quinnen Williams overcame hardship early in life to be in a position to be one of the first players taken in the NFL Draft.

Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has the sort of smile that lights up every room he steps in. The jovial Williams knows he’s the best player in the NFL Draft, and behind that smile is a momma’s boy keeping his mother’s spirit alive.

Williams lost his mother, Marquischa Henderson Williams, to breast cancer when he was only 12 years old. She beat it five years earlier only for the disease to return. She was his best friend and closest confidant. He followed her everywhere, from the hair and nail salon to shopping for clothes to their favorite place to eat, IHOP.

He took on a parental role to his younger sister, who he refers to as his daughter.

“I make sure she’s okay,” Williams said. “Make sure she’s taken care of and that I’m there for her and just try to be an example of becoming a great person on the field and off the field.”

Having to take that sort of leadership role at home from such a young age has only helped him on the football field.

“It kept me very aware. I did know that I’m always going to be setting that example, by being a leader by example. Everything I do, growing up to be a leader by example in my family, it’s just made me the person I am today. Doing everything the best I can do and for the guys behind me and the guys next to me on the team.”

Quinnen keeps the spirit of his mother alive with a number of tattoos. He has 19 in total, including several that are forever memories of his angel who is watching him pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

“I have a tattoo of an angel with a number 92 on an Alabama jersey. I have a couple of breast cancer signs and I have, ‘the darkest night create the brightest stars,’ on my arm and I have her name and the day she passed on it and different things like that.”

Williams doesn’t need to say he’s playing for his mom or he’s using the violent game as an outlet for his grief. He just wants to make her proud.

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From the family’s two-bedroom home in Birmingham, Quinnen developed into one of the nation’s top football recruits. He starred at Wenonah High School and originally committed to play at Auburn. He later changed his mind and signed with Alabama. In Tuscaloosa, he knew he’d have to sit and wait his turn in the Crimson Tide’s loaded depth chart. But it also gave him the opportunity to learn from future NFL players and grow in Nick Saban’s system.

Williams is regarded as one of the smartest defensive players in this class or any class in recent memory. That can be attributed in part to former teammates Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne.

“I learned a lot from those guys. Those guys really helped me coming into college. For all the different things that had to do with college life, classes wise, all the different things about how to process the stuff for Alabama and going through their process day by day. So, those guys taught me a lot.”

The man who brought him to Alabama and who told Quinnen he had a chance to be the first player taken in the draft, Nick Saban, holds a special place in his heart.

“He means a lot. He gave me the opportunity to either show the world that I’m the best player in the draft. Just show the world I’m a good player in general. He helped me be the person I am right now. He’s taught me to be disciplined, give effort in everything you do, being confident, finishing everything you accomplish, to become the person I am.”

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“I feel like I’m the best player in the draft.”

Draft day is approaching. Quinnen is projected to be one of the top five picks. His destination is unknown. He’s likely to land in San Francisco, New York or Oakland. The uncertainty hasn’t affected the always-smiling nose guard who remains excited about his future.

“I’m excited. I’m not anxious or nervous or anything like that. I’m just excited. I’m just blessed to be in this position, who I am now, to get to share this with my family has been amazing.”

No matter where he goes, he’s not going to change. He’s going to be the same person he was at Alabama and the same leader he was in Birmingham when tragedy struck. And he’s always going to remember where he came from.

“At the end of the day, I don’t care what team I go to. I want to be the same person, I want to feel how I feel, be me first. I’ll always be Alabama on the field and off the field.”

He’s been compared to reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, but he likens his game more to Eagles star Fletcher Cox. He might not be the No. 1 pick but he has the confidence and swagger to say there’s no other player better than him.

“I feel like I’m the best player in the draft.”

There’s not a hint of arrogance behind his message. He’s ready for his moment. This is something he’s been working toward for half his life.

“I just know I’m blessed, man. A lot of people who could have been in my shoes are not in my shoes. A lot of people have talent way better than my talent. I’m just glad to be where I am now.”

And after he hears his name called in the first few picks on Thursday, he’ll be thinking of his mom.

“I know she would be very proud of me.”

You can see more about Quinnen Williams and his family in Hyundai’s Rolling with the Rookies video below.