From Fayetteville State to the Super Bowl: The rise of Joshua Williams

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A rising star is bringing that can-do spirit from his hometown of Fayetteville all the way to Super Bowl LVII. As he heads into the championship game, Joshua Williams is stirring up lots of excitement in the Sandhills because of his inspiring rise to the top.

Friends and mentors say Joshua Williams's journey from Division II Fayetteville State to the Super Bowl is so extraordinary because he was a late bloomer. The Fayetteville native played at Jack Britt High School, graduating in 2017.

"He is really humble. He just wants to be great," said Brian Frierson, a former coach at Jack Britt High School and now a football coach at UNC Pembroke. "No matter how good he is currently, he knows that he could continue to get better in certain areas of the game and certain areas of his life."

Williams took some time to improve his grades at a prep school in South Carolina, then transferred to Fayetteville State University. He later got a starting role in his second year, becoming a cornerback for the Broncos. He quickly impressed his coaches with his speed, technique and lanky build.

"Going into his third season, his junior year, the scouts came in and did their measurements and told him to do the wingspan test, and then they start writing stuff down, and from that point on it just took off for him," said Richard Hayes, Jr.. the head football coach at Fayetteville State.

Williams only played three seasons because of the pandemic but that didn't get him down. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs last April -- the first Fayetteville State player drafted since 1976 when the New York Jets took running back James Godwin

He was also the first Fayetteville State player ever invited to the college football Senior Bowl.

"It's exceptional when you take it all in," said Fayetteville State Chancellor Darrell Allison.

It was Williams' stellar play on the field this past Sunday that took him and his team to the title game. Williams made a big fourth-quarter interception for the Chiefs in their 23-20 AFC Championship win against the defending AFC titlist Cincinnati Bengals.

"I said to Josh ... you can be the bridge that for many cases where we only look at Division I players, (showing) that there are a number of Division II players in the nation that deserve a shot, and you can be the one, Joshua," Allison said. "Because of you, we'll have the power to give a second thought, a third thought to the other Joshua Williamses out there."

Now Williams hopes to crown his surging success with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles will be held Feb. 12.