The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 61 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? is different. The coaches used to tell us there are no cliques in our group. That's how we were. "When the country was really divided with racial issues, we had a big group of white players reach out to the black players, and we had a two-hour Zoom call one night. There were about 40 of us online. As much as I loved playing in The Big House, it was more of the people I was playing with." Williams played in 45 games at Michi- gan and started six contests. He racked up 74 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 fum- ble recoveries in his career in Ann Arbor. Williams went undrafted but signed with the NFL's Denver Broncos in 2003. He went on to spend time with the Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants before retiring in 2008. Following his playing career, Williams returned to Nebraska, where he was involved in the organization of several youth camps. He also worked for a stra- tegic planning firm, Castle Oaks Advi- sors, and helped professional athletes transition to non-playing careers. However, Williams had a passion for coaching. In 2012, he attended an NFL Coaching Academy in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to learn more about the in- dustry. Little did he know, Texas — the mecca of high school football — would soon be his home. "I was doing some camps and pro- grams in Nebraska, but we were piss- ing in the wind," Williams said. "Even when I was there, I was considered weird for wanting to go into the NFL. When I went to the academy, I was with Mi- chael Haynes from Penn State. He was coaching in Crowley, Texas, and he told me what it was like down here. I ended up changing my flight. My wife applied to four different jobs. I did the academy, and she got three offers. "I went to a lineman challenge at Ar- lington High School, and that's when I knew I needed to be here. I moved down here sight unseen. I had a month to meet people. I joined Michigan alumni groups and went from there. The first person I met was [former kicker] Remy Hamilton, and he introduced me to people." Williams eventually landed an as- sistant coaching position at Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints' Episcopal. With Wil- liams on staff, All Saints' has become one of the premier private school programs in the Lone Star State and consistently churns out Division I talent. "It's as intense as a small college for sure," Williams said. "It's fun coach- ing high school ball here. It gives you a good chance to see if you want to move to the next level or stay where you're at. Coaching just felt natural for me. It's hard to make a living playing forever and forcing yourself to do something. "Down here, I can make a living coaching and training. If I were in a dif- ferent state, I may not have even been able to coach." Williams roomed with Michigan wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy during his time in Ann Arbor. Of course, Bellamy is known for helping lead West Bloomfield High to a Michigan state championship before becoming an assistant a U-M in 2021. However, Williams doesn't envision himself following the same path. Along with coaching at All Saints, he runs his own club seven-on-seven program, Texas Swoosh, and hosts private training sessions in the offseason for defensive back prospects across the state. Williams is just happy where he's at. "I like running my own stuff," he said. "I like taking kids to different colleges. I took a big group of kids to Michigan and Notre Dame camps in the offseason. "Football was hard work, but I enjoyed it. I like being able to make a living off things I enjoy. I know that's not always logical. But I've done multiple things in my life that started off as an illogical thought, just like going to Michigan." Staying at the high school level will also allow Williams to focus on his fam- ily — his son, Jayvont, is a 2023 athlete recruit with several FBS offers — as well as his newfound passion — Texas BBQ. "Besides my coaching and blowing up my training clinics, I want to BBQ ," Williams said. "I keep getting better at it. I study it the way I study football. If I have big orders coming up, I binge watch Pit Masters. I take the same pride in it as I did winning and making a play. I have a big nine-foot smoker. I ship briskets and have catered a couple of pregame meals. "I have to figure out the travel, but I want to do contests soon. You never lose that competitiveness. I remember Coach Carr used to say the same thing about [Nick] Saban — do not make me go shake that bleep's hand after a loss." Naturally, Williams' new BBQ busi- ness is coined after his Michigan roots — Blue Smoke BBQ. ❏ Williams landed an assistant coaching position at Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints' Episcopal School. and he has helped it become one of the premier private prep school programs in the Lone Star State. He also has launched a new business that he named Blue Smoke BBQ. PHOTO COURTESY BRANDON WILLIAMS The Brandon Williams File M ichigan Accomplishments: Played in 45 games between 1999- 2003 … Started six as a defensive back … Logged 74 career tackles and 2 in- terceptions. Professional Accomplishments: Spent five years in the NFL with four different teams — Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals. Michigan Memory: Rooming with current U-M wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy during his time on campus and former Michigan director of re- cruiting Courtney Morgan after leav- ing campus. Favorite Spot In Ann Arbor: The Big House. Education: Bachelor's degree in marketing, 2003. Family: His son, Jayvont, is a 2023 recruit with offers from Army, Navy and Tulsa.