SEFFNER, Fla. — Armwood wide receiver Tyler Williams has scored a lot of touchdowns this season.
He leads the Hawks in receiving yards and touchdowns.
And there are a myriad of reasons why Tyler is one of the top receivers in the country. But the main reason that tops the list is a special member of Tyler’s family.
This is Tyler’s why? This is who he calls his everything. His brother Trey.
“I just know that he’s watching,” Tyler said. “I know he wants to see me do good. So he just motivates me to keep going.”
Trey provides immediate perspective for Tyler. His older brother, by three years, suffers from epilepsy and is also on the autism spectrum. He’s been dealt a tough hand. But you’d never know it by Trey’s attitude. He always got a smile on his face. And he’s always got his brother’s back. Tyler and Trey share a bond where close doesn’t even begin to describe their connection.
“I’ll tell you how close they are,” their father, Melvin Williams, said. “I felt if something were to happen to me or God forbid his mom or anything like that, I know for a fact Tyler would be the one to step right in and take care of him.”
On Friday nights, Trey watches his younger brother from the sideline. He’s had a front-row seat to Tyler’s ascension in the game, where he became one of the most sought after recruits in the nation. Older brother played a big role in Tyler’s rise.
“Tyler’s a talented and gifted young man himself, but I think sometimes he knows he can participate in things and be a part of things his brother can’t,” Melvin said. “He goes out there, he goes 10 times harder.”
Trey has never played a down of high school football. But every time Tyler steps foot onto the field, he brings his older brother with him.
“I know that if he could, he’d be on the field doing the same thing,” Tyler said. “So it motivates me.”