At the time of his selection, the 5-foot-8, 190-pound junior running back had led the Lions to a 13-0 record and the 5A Division II state quarterfinals. Williams-Callis had rushed for 2,868 yards and 46 touchdowns while averaging 12.1 yards per carry. He also caught 17 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown, and threw a touchdown pass as well.
Williams-Callis has volunteered locally with the YMCA and at animal shelters. He has also donated his time as a coach at the Jacquizz Rodgers Football Camp and as a speaker and mentor/presenter at elementary and middle schools. “Seldom do you hear about a kid during peewee football who lives up to the hype once they get to high school,” said Shone Evans, head coach at Texas City High School. “Not only has this young man lived up to it, but he surpassed it. His vision, strength and speed are impressive on film, but they pale in comparison to what you see from him in person. Lastly, in a world of ‘look at me,’ this young man gives off [NFL Hall of Famer] Barry Sanders vibes. Once he scores, makes a big run or runs over a defender, he finds the nearest referee to hand the ball to.”
Williams-Callis has maintained a 3.34 weighted GPA in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school next fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade, Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
