DCHS Amputee Football Player Hopes to Inspire Team

A DCHS Football player is hoping for a chance to help his team do battle against the Warren County Pioneers in the season opener tonight in McMinnville. But six months ago, Dillon Williams was facing a different kind of battle….a fight for his life after he lost a portion of his right leg in an accidental shooting.
“I was showing my girlfriend a gun I had gotten for Christmas and when I was handing it to her, it went off in the process,” said Williams in an interview with WJLE Thursday.
Williams was airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville but the wound was so serious that his leg had to be amputated below the knee. The teen has since been fitted with a prosthetic leg.
Though not a starter on the football team, Williams, now a senior, got to see some action last season and was hoping for more playing time this year. “On offense (last year) I played center and on defense I played tackle. I played in the first five games (last season). I also got to play in the (state) play-off game we had here at home,” said Williams.
During his recovery, Williams said he has worked to get stronger so that he might be able in some way to contribute to the team this season. “I was at physical therapy the other day and he (therapist) told me I could play. He (therapist) said he wanted me to start padding up and get a feel for hitting. He said I wouldn’t be able to do everything everyone else does but I could do some stuff,” Williams said.
“I am hoping to play a little bit of special teams because I think that would be the easiest for me. But even if I don’t get in the game, I just want to hit somebody,” he said.
Williams said his hope is that he can be an inspiration to others, especially his teammates in overcoming adversity. “If they see me out here on the field, maybe they will say if he can do it I can to”.
“For us he is a true inspiration,” said Tiger Coach Steve Trapp. ” He (Williams) has been at every practice since he has been able to get out and move around. He is an inspiration for all of us to keep fighting and working toward what you expect to achieve,” he said.
Since losing his leg, Williams said an uncle has quoted for him a passage of scripture which he thinks of often. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Every time I get down I think about that and it lifts me up.”