That had to be a typo, right?
Heck of a place to make a typo, too 鈥 but right on the Mizzou player鈥檚 jersey, his last name read: 鈥淲ILLIAMS SR.鈥
But it turned out, last season, Sidney Williams was only a junior by school classification.
See, the Mizzou safety is a father.
And so, by having 鈥淪R.鈥 on his jersey, 鈥淚t just connects (us) and lets people know that I have a kid,鈥 said Sidney Williams Sr., who will be a senior safety this year for the Tigers. 鈥淚鈥檓 really just excited to let people know that I have a kid and I鈥檓 willing to show the generations.鈥
Sidney Harold Williams Jr. is 1. Turns 2 in March.
鈥淗e鈥檚 full of life 鈥 very, very observant,鈥 Mizzou鈥檚 Williams said. 鈥淧aying attention to everything. So I wanted to bring him here to Columbia and show him a lot of love. 鈥 He still wakes up at 4 in the morning, 5 in the morning. But I play ball, so I鈥檓 pretty much used to getting up around that time (for workouts) anyway.鈥
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Williams, who is part of Mizzou鈥檚 defensive back rotation, was born in New Orleans and raised in Mobile, Alabama. Akeria Jones is the mother of his son, and she moved to Columbia this summer, along with Junior.
And so, Mizzou鈥檚 Williams is double majoring in football and life. Oh, and he鈥檚 apparently doing well in actual school 鈥 he was named to the 2023 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that鈥檚 always hard, to juggle those things 鈥 those are real things that pull at you,鈥 said Corey Batoon, Mizzou鈥檚 defensive coordinator. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 (about) being able to peel that away and understand 鈥 this is who I am at heart, but I also represent more than just what鈥檚 on the front of the chest. On the back of the jersey means something. It鈥檚 kind of cool, man. I mean, everybody鈥檚 in different situations. And those guys that have those other blessings outside of the building, what a neat opportunity. Really a neat thing that Sidney has been able to accomplish. That is part of what his walk is right now.鈥
At first, Williams admitted, it was 鈥渁 little weird鈥 seeing 鈥淪R.鈥 on the back of his jersey. But 鈥渋t grew on me 鈥 it鈥檚 a good fit,鈥 he said.
Junior visited Mizzou for one game last season. Now in 2024, the plan is for him to attend as many home games as is doable.
And just a couple days before Mizzou鈥檚 media day in July, Williams brought his son to the football facility.
鈥淚 want him to really get to experience being with his father and an atmosphere like this,鈥 said Williams, who originally played for Florida State. 鈥淣othing but love out here, it鈥檚 quiet out here, it鈥檚 a blessing. 鈥 When I first got here, the coaches, the players, everybody was just accepting me as a person and as a player, too. Every day, I always have some Mizzou on. I really cherish where I鈥檓 at and where my feet are right now.鈥
There is a special camaraderie among the Mizzou safeties, teammate Daylan Carnell explained. But also a fierce competition for playing time. Williams spent time last year at the linebacker-safety position called STAR, as well as at a traditional safety spot. He totaled 25 tackles, as well as two sacks and 2 陆 tackles for loss.
No. 3 on defense tallied five tackles in the win at Kentucky, six and a sack in the win against Arkansas and three in the Cotton Bowl win against Ohio State.
鈥淪idney is, first and foremost, a high-energy guy,鈥 said Batoon, who knows Williams well 鈥 Batoon was recently a defensive coordinator at South Alabama in, yup, Mobile. 鈥淪o, I鈥檝e known a lot about him. His high school program (Vigor High) is one of the better programs in Mobile.
鈥淏ut he鈥檚 really good, really a pleasure to coach. Very much like a sponge, wants to learn, wants to absorb things. He played a lot of football, played linebacker at Florida State. 鈥 He鈥檚 one of those guys that always has a smile on his face. Always ready to work. Always gives it 鈥 anything that you ask and more. And so, from that standpoint, he鈥檚 good to be around. He鈥檚 a benefit to our room.鈥
And Williams feels he fits in the defense because 鈥渃oach Batoon gives us safeties a (chance) to put a little flavor to it. He doesn鈥檛 try to say, 鈥榃e need it this way always or that way always.鈥 We can pretty much be ourselves, bring our own swag. And that鈥檚 what I really appreciate about coach Batoon.鈥
Becoming a father gave Williams a perspective on life he couldn鈥檛 have imagined. And he takes pride in passing his name down. In being Senior.
鈥淵ou just know 鈥 Sidney loves his son,鈥 Carnell said. 鈥淗e always is talking about him. I mean, if you just walk around the facility and you see Sidney, he鈥檚 probably on FaceTime and it鈥檚 his son on FaceTime with him. So you can tell by how he walks around 鈥 he鈥檚 proud to be a father.鈥