Alumnus is 12th Dartmouth inductee to National Football Foundation and
College Hall of Fame
In 1975, Reggie Williams '76 was recognized as the most conspicuous player
in Dartmouth football annals since halfback Robert MacLeod '39 was a consensus
All-American in 1938. This month, in New York City, Williams's achievements on
the college gridiron were crowned by the All-American linebacker's introduction
with 11 other players and two coaches from across the nation who will be
inducted into the National
Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame's Class of 2007.
Reggie Williams '76
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He joins MacLeod and eleven other Dartmouth football players, coaches, and
administrators whose contributions, spanning more than a century, have been
previously rewarded with college football's highest honor. A three-time All-Ivy
League first team selection from 1973-75, Williams place among the greatest
players in Ivy League history was reinforced by his subsequent 14-year career
(1976-89) with the Cincinnati
Bengals.
"Being selected for the College Football Hall of Fame is a great honor
and a culminating moment for me, for Dartmouth College, and for the Ivy
League," says Williams, whose post-NFL career over the past 15 years has
been devoted to developing sports programs and serving as a positive role model
for boys and girls of all ages. In 1993, Williams joined the Walt Disney
Company and championed Disney's involvement in sports, particularly amateur
sports. He oversaw the creation of Disney's
Wide World of Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art multisport complex that
opened in 1997 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Since 1998, Williams has been vice
president of Disney Sports Attractions that, during the past year, that was
utilized by 220,000 athletes.
Growing up in Flint, Mich., Williams overcame a severe hearing disability
and became an outstanding student-athlete at Southwestern High where his
academic record drew the attention of Dartmouth's football coaching staff. He
wanted to go to the University of Michigan, but Coach Bo Schembechler felt he
was too small (6-1, 215) to play football in the Big Ten. He arrived at
Dartmouth in fall 1972, uncertain of his place, academically or athletically.
During his freshman year, those doubts were erased.
"Head Coach Jake Crouthamel made the best personnel decision of my
athletic career," says Williams, when Crouthamel immediately switched him
from running back to linebacker. "Jake believed in my ability. Jerry
Berndt [the Dartmouth freshman team coach who also was Williams's wrestling
coach] was the bridge who established my confidence. Rick Taylor [the Big
Green's linebacker coach] taught me discipline and leadership."
Williams broke into the varsity lineup as a sophomore in 1973, helping
Dartmouth win its fifth straight Ivy League title. For three seasons he became
the Ivy League's most dominant defensive player, using his speed and
intelligence to cover the field from sideline to sideline. His career total of
243 unassisted tackles remains a Dartmouth record and his 370 total tackles
ranks second all-time for the Big Green. He also had four interceptions.
Reggie Williams (center) tackles Harvard's Pat McInally at a 1973
Harvard/Dartmouth game in Cambridge. Dartmouth won 24-18. Williams played pro
ball for the Cincinnati Bengals and was recently selected for the National
Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. (Photo by Dick Raphael)
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He was named to every All-East, All-Ivy and All-New England team in 1974 and
1975. In 1975 he was named to the American
Football Coaches Association All-America team. Williams was invited to
three post-season college all-star games after the 1975 season and played in
the Hula Bowl and the Japan Bowl.
Williams also was the Ivy League's heavyweight wrestling champion in 1975.
Since he completed his undergraduate degree requirements as a psychology major
after the fall term in 1975-76, he didn't defend his wrestling title in
1976.
"My parents [Eli and Julia Williams, who still live in Flint] instilled
in me that education is the path to success," says Williams. "The
mental preparation I learned in the classroom and on the football field at
Dartmouth helped me in pro football and throughout my career."
His career with the Bengals included appearances in the Super Bowl in 1982
and 1989. He was selected to the NFL's All-Rookie Team in 1976. He won the
NFL's Byron (Whizzer) White Award for Humanitarian Service in 1985 and was the
NFL's Man of the Year in 1986. In 1987, he was Sports Illustrated's
Co-Sportsman of the Year. In 1988 he was appointed to an open seat on the
Cincinnati City Council and was elected to a second term in 1989. In 1990, he
received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Dartmouth.
Williams has been recognized for his current place as a leader within the
Walt Disney Company and the world of sports by his 2003 ranking in Sports
Illustrated's list of 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports. In 2005,
he was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Blacks in Sports by Black
Enterprise magazine.
The 2007 Hall of Fame class will be inducted at the National Football
Foundation's 50th annual awards dinner on December 4 at the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel in New York City. They will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in South
Bend, Ind., in summer 2008.
By JACK DEGANGE
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