Behind the Facemask: Ryan Williams
August 1, 2011
CORAL GABLES, Fla.–No dream comes true without sacrifice and these young men have worked to make their dream of playing at the U come true. Here are the men behind the sacrifice…
Ryan Williams | Quarterback | Sophomore | Pembroke Pines, Fla.
My favorite midnight snack is some kind of cookie or brownie.
I’m a Hurricane because I was given the opportunity to come here, and I’m thankful.
My favorite song right now is “My City, My Town” by Trick Daddy. It’s all about people who represent where they’re from, and I like that.
My favorite thing about being a part of the U Family is the brotherhood. All the players that come back show the love they have for the program, and show how much it means to them. How much work we put in between each other, it’s something we all know that we have to go through. We all respect each other in that fashion. It’s different. It’s something you can’t get anywhere else.
At the U, I’ve learned so much from my teammates in general, from their experiences playing here and what it’s like to be a Hurricane. Since it’s my first year, I’m just learning the right way to do things and what it takes to get on the field and be part of this family.
Being back home is great, especially to be closer to my family. They came to a lot of games when I was at Memphis, but there’s nothing like being home. Travel-wise, I’ll be getting to see them a lot more often.
One thing everyone should know about Miami football is that we’re not stopping until we get a championship.
Other than football, I’m talented at almost every sport. I don’t play sports like the average person. When I try to do something, I try to be great at it. I’m focused on football. I played basketball growing up, and played soccer too. Pretty much anything with a ball.
The actor I would want to play me in a movie is Will Ferrell (laughs). He’s one of my favorite actors, and pretty much every movie he’s in is funny. I try to be like that sometimes.
The song no one would believe I have on my iPod is “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.
No one can believe I’m engaged. Being so young, no one would expect it out of a student-athlete, it’s outside the normal for us. We’ve been engaged for a couple of months now.
People might be surprised to know that I’ve always wanted to play here since I was little. Since I moved here, watching the Hurricanes growing up and seeing the greatness of the tradition, I’ve always wanted to be here. Now I’ve finally got the chance.
If I could spend a day with anyone, it would be Peyton Manning, just to see his work ethic, what he does in practice, and what it takes to be the top quarterback in the NFL. He’s one of my favorite players. The others are Tom Brady and some of the Miami guys, like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Sean Taylor.
The most influential person in my life is myself. I push myself to be the greatest at what I do. I’m not letting myself fall short of my dreams and my goals.
When I played football as a kid, I pretended to be Michael Vick. Back when he first came up, everyone wanted to be like him. Being a dual-threat quarterback is always fun, especially playing pick-up in the streets and being able to throw but also to run around and have fun.
When I was six years old, I started playing football.
Football has given me so many more opportunities in life. A chance to further my education, create friendships that I’ll have for the rest of my life and a work ethic that I’ll always have.
I never thought I’d be playing football in college. Growing up, it’s something you wanted to do but you didn’t actually know what it took to get there and how many people actually make it. Having a chance to move onto the next level is just a blessing.
I was raised in South Florida, in Pembroke Pines. I was born in Louisiana, but we moved here when I was in second grade. I’m glad we made the move.
The offensive line is a bunch of jokesters. They like to have fun. The always make jokes, but they know how to work .They know what it takes. They know how to put in the extra effort, but they also have fun on the side too.
Coach Fisch is a professional. He treats you like you’re a professional, and he expects you to act like one. He expects you to do what he asks, and wants you to know what you’re supposed to do.
Make sure to check in for a new Behind the Facemask profile each and everyday in preparation for the Hurricane football season opener. For a review of all past profiles, check out Behind the Facemask Central.
