CHICAGO - East Alton-Wood River’s Travis Williams has had a storybook athletic career and as a coach. Travis' family life has followed the same storybook tale with his wife, Autumn, and two children, and his relationship with the rest of his family. Today Travis is a physical education/athletic director at a K-8 School Lake Forest Rondout School near Chicago.
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Recently, a team coached by Travis and led by his son, Aiden, won the Eighth-Grade Super Bowl Championship in the Build George Youth Football League with the Oak Park Huskies. Aiden is what they say a chip off the old block, with lightning speed and moves like his father, Travis, and is a highly sought football player now by private Chicago area high schools near where they live in Oak Park. Travis and his wife, Autumn’s daughter, Avani, is a cheerleader.
Autumn Williams is a former Rams cheerleader.
“Our team went 10-3 and won the Super Bowl for our league which is a big accomplishment for our kids,” Travis said. “My son wears No. 28 and my daughter cheers and they all won the Super Bowl medals. This is my second year of coaching my son’s teams. We had 24 guys on the team and we were just a solid football team offensively and defensively.”
Aiden Williams was the starting running back and “soaked everything up like a sponge,” Travis said. “He was really successful. I think he will absolutely have success in high school.” Travis said Aiden could ultimately be a better football player than he was in high school and college. Travis thinks his son is ahead of where he was as a football at the same age.
Travis Williams was a standout three-sport star for East Alton-Wood River High School and a tremendous player at the University of Illinois in college. Travis' stats are listed below in a summary. He was the MVP of the South Central All-Stars Game in Carlinville after his high school graduation.
Another one of his biggest accomplishments was a state championship in the triple jump. Travis also earned a $1,000 scholarship for the Tom Lombardi Award his senior year.
On this Thanksgiving Day, Travis expressed sincere thanks to his wonderful mom, Carolyn Johnson, who attended every one of her grandson Aiden's football games this past fall from East Alton to Chicago every weekend.
“Mom pretty much sleeps and eats football,” Travis said. “She went to every football game I played and was there for every practice, every basketball game, and every track meet. I am so thankful for her and the rest of my family.
“This also applies to both my son and daughter. She is still there rooting and doing the same things with her. Sometimes, she plays old videos of when I was in high school and those are always fun to watch.”
Autumn Williams works as a human resources person with Google in the Chicago area.
Travis said he is very proud of his wife and thankful for everything - my family and all my life blessings.
“I am always thankful to my mother for what she did and sacrifices for my life,” he said.
Travis Williams Illini College Career Summary
2004: Played in five games with four starts before being sidelined for the season with a hip injury ... Made 27 tackles, 16 solo ... Had eight tackles vs. UCLA ... Tallied seven stops vs. Western Michigan ... Recorded six solo tackles vs. Purdue ... Had four tackles in season-opener vs. Florida A&M.
2003: Third on the team in tackles with 91 ... Made a career-high 14 stops vs. Wisconsin ... Returned a blocked field goal 66 yards for a touchdown vs. Illinois State ... Tallied 13 tackles vs. Minnesota ... Had nine tackles, a fumble recovery, a PBU and returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown vs. Northwestern ... Made 11 tackles and had one PBU vs. Michigan State ... Had six tackles, including one TFL vs. Indiana ... Forced a fumble and made six stops vs. Missouri ... Made eight tackles at both Michigan and Iowa ... Started every game at one of the safety positions.
2002: True freshman that had an immediate impact as a free safety and as a kick returner ... Earned the team's Rookie of the Year Award ... Went 90 yards for a touchdown on the opening kickoff vs. Purdue, setting the tone for the overtime victory ... Also had seven stops vs. Purdue ... Started five games at safety, including the final four of the year ... Finished with 38 tackles, an interception and two passes broken up ... Had eight tackles vs. Michigan and Penn State ... Had seven tackles vs. Purdue ... Picked off one pass in the end zone at Wisconsin, returning it 30 yards.
High School: Alton Telegraph All-Metro Player of the Year ... PrepStar All-Region selection ... Set a school record for career rushing yards with 2,722 as well as a single-season record of 1,503 yards ... Also broke school record for points scored ... Earned All-State honors by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association ... South Central Conference first-team All-Conference as both an offensive and defensive back ... Named to the Tom Lemming 2001 Reebok All-American team ... St. Louis Post-Dispatch Area Player of the Year ... Champaign News-Gazette All-State team ... Earned 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and track at East Alton-Wood River High School ... Named the team's Most Valuable Player ... Also an All-Conference performer in basketball and track ... A long and triple jumper in track, placing third and second, respectively, at state in 2000 ... Also qualified for state in the 100 and 200 meters ... High school football coach was Gary Carter.
Personal: Full given name is Travis Jacob Williams ... Born Oct. 14, 1983 in Alton, Ill. ... The son of Rory Williams and Carolyn Johnson ... Enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ... Hobbies include fishing and hunting ... Favorite athlete is St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk ... A four-year honor roll student ... Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and performed with a show choir.
Career Highs
Tackles: 14 vs. Wisconsin, 9/27/03
Solos: 7, twice (last time vs. Minnesota, 10/25/03)
TFL: 1 at Indiana, 11/8/03 Interceptions: 1, twice (last time vs. Northwestern, 11/22/03)PBU: 2 at Penn State, 11/2/02 Touchdowns: 1, twice (vs. Illinois State, 9/6/03 [blocked field goal] & vs. Purdue, 10/12/02 [kick return])
DEFENSIVE STATISTICSYEAR G ST AT TOT TFL-YDS INT-YDS PBU2002 8 23 15 38 0-0 1-30 22003 12 50 41 91 1.5-1 1-32 22004 5 16 11 27 0-0 0-0 0TOTAL 25 89 67 156 1.5-1 2-62 4
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