Growing up in San Diego, Damian Williams was just like most kids, playing those make-believe sports scenarios with your friends. You know… final seconds, down by 2, clock is ticking down… 3, 2, 1.
“I feel like whenever we’d get friends together, you’d say this touchdown here with 4 seconds left is for the winning drive in the Super Bowl.”
A few days before Williams’ Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54, Williams reflected on what those childhood moments were like, and acknowledged they were more important to him than others.
“You put those pictures in your head, and as a kid I took those things serious. So, whenever someone said there are 2 seconds left, this is for Super Bowl, I said Oh I am making sure I’m going to score this TD so I can win the Super Bowl.”
This Sunday, Williams will have a chance to win the Super Bowl for real. Some dream it, but Williams is living it.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m excited to be here and I’m just taking it all in.”
That Williams is even having the chance to “take it all in” is somewhat surprising.
Williams, a Mira Mesa High School alum, went undrafted out of the University of Oklahoma. NFL scouts didn’t give him much of a chance.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 220 pound running back signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins and made the team, but played four relatively unremarkable seasons in Miami.
In 2018, Williams career took an upward turn when he signed a free agent contract with the Chiefs.
At the time, Williams said there was talk of big goals in Kansas City, the Chiefs were openly speaking about building a team that was Super Bowl caliber.
“When I took my visit to Kansas City, a Super Bowl is what they talked about and this is what they preached. I believed in them and they believed in me to be a part of this. So, this is something no one in the Chiefs building had any doubt about it.”
Two seasons later, Williams and Chiefs are one win away from that Super Bowl victory they talked about, and just like when he was a kid in San Diego playing those last second scenarios, Williams isn’t shying away from the moment.
“Whenever you have a chance to be part of something big, you want your name to come up," he said.
If previous NFL playoff games are any indication, then Williams will come up big.
Williams scored 3 touchdowns in the Chiefs first playoff win against Houston, then followed that with another touchdown against Tennessee in the AFC Championship.
“Big time players show up in big time games, that’s world-wide, everybody says that, but that’s something you have to do consistently, and I feel like I am consistent with that.”
And if Williams comes up big and somehow scores the Super Bowl winning touchdown, well that wouldn’t surprise him because he’s done it before as a kid in San Diego in those pretend last second scenarios.
