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Connor Williams defies bullies to realize NFL dream

The moment so emotional it knocked him off his feet. When Cowboys second-round draft pick Connor Williams got the call from the Cowboys brain trust, he fell to his knees, overcome.

COPPELL, Texas -- The moment so emotional it knocked him off his feet. When Cowboys second-round draft pick Connor Williams got the call from the Cowboys brain trust, he fell to his knees, overcome.

"It was emotional," said Williams. "It was a dream."

The dream began taking shape when he was a Cowboys at Coppell High School

The school's Athletic director and former head football coach Joe McBride called up Williams as a sophomore to the varsity squad.

"He knew how to walk across that track and get on that turf and turn it on," said McBride.

Williams found success relatively early in his time at Coppell. But little did his coach know all the things he had to fight through and overcome, especially off the field, in order to reach his star potential.

"I had no idea he'd went through that," when asked about the bullying Williams revealed in a letter he penned for the NFL Network.

Williams wrote this thank you letter to all the bullies who made fun of him while he struggling with obesity and a speech impediment as a kid.

His response - Williams transformed himself into an incredible athlete thanks to early morning training sessions with his father featuring the workout program P90X.

"You could just tell that light switch of confidence had flipped," said McBride. "He was carrying himself well, I didn't know he was at home doing P90X."

Williams gained plenty of popularity as scholarship offers poured in and he became one of the most well-known players on the team. But, he's never forgotten the loneliness he felt while being marginalized by those bullying him.

"I mean it's a journey and its definitely been a transition and a long road but at the same time, you've just got to reflect on where you've been and where you're going," said Williams.

Williams will be chasing championships now, and serving as a champion for bullied kids across the country. And now his opponents will be the ones getting knocked off their feet.

"It's just great to see a great kid get rewarded," said McBride.

And with his grounded approach, work ethic, and obvious determination the rewards are just beginning.

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