Reggie Williams is not the kind of man to take anything for granted.
Throughout his life, he has overcome possible life-altering obstacles and came out a winner. Born and raised in Memphis, Williams has traveled to many places in the world but has since returned home to baseball and to Memphis.
Williams' love for baseball formed at a young age, while watching his father play.
During his high school career at Southside, Williams played football, basketball and baseball.
It took a lesson in sacrifice before he focused solely on baseball.
"My football coach was also my baseball coach," Williams said. "I hurt my throwing arm tackling a guy. He (coach) told me 'no more football.' Fortunately, I listened."
It became more and more evident that Williams had a gift for baseball.
Williams' knew, however, that sheer athletic ability would not be enough to attain his goals. He aspired to be like his idol, Reggie Jackson.
"He (Jackson) was a very dynamic ball player," Williams said. "What I liked about him was his intelligence. He could communicate and he was a great athlete."
After graduating from Southside in 1978, Williams attended college at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.
As an outfielder for the baseball team, he helped the Jaguars earn three Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships.
In 1982, he graduated from Southern University.
He was honored with the Presidential Scholarship award for having the highest grade point average in the athletic department.
It was then that Williams' childhood aspirations took a large step toward reality.
Williams was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1982.
From that point on, Williams earned his spot in the Majors by excelling at the minor league level.
Williams began his professional career by being voted most valuable player of his rookie league team, the Lethbridge Dodgers.
He then left Canada to play in other Dodger minor league teams in Florida, Texas and California while also traveling overseas to play in the winter months.
In 1983, Williams was playing in South America for the winter league.
While diving for a ball, he collided with another outfielder.
The impact crushed his shoulder so badly his doctor thought he had been hit by a car.
"The doctor did not have a positive prognosis," Williams said. "It looked bleak."
After returning to the States for surgery, Williams began his recovery with the lingering thought that he might never be able to play baseball again.
While attending church one Sunday in Memphis, his rehabilitation took a turn for the better.
After the services a young lady named Allyson asked, "What happened to your shoulder?".
That conversation sparked a relationship and the couple were married shortly thereafter.
"My wife was one of the big motivating factors for me," Williams said. "I had the love of my life and she was always encouraging."
With the help of his new partner and his faith in God, Williams recovered from the shoulder injury.
In 1985, he got the call from the Dodgers he had been waiting for.
"It was really a blessing for me to overcome that and make my Major League debut in 1985," Williams said.
Williams received the honor of Dodger's Rookie of the Year in 1986.
He finished third in team batting in his rookie season.
Williams spent two more years with the Dodgers before being traded to the Cleveland Indians.
He is still unsure of why the trade happened after his outstanding play with the organization.
"That's something I don't understand," Williams said. "Sometimes in sports, it's not necessarily if you are a talented athlete, it's being in the right place at the right time."
He was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball organization in 1989 and the Texas Rangers in 1990.
At that time, Williams knew he had to make some choices.
Continuing his career in the Major Leagues would require him to constantly relocate his family.
That is when Williams decided to move on from his four-year career as a professional baseball player.
"I had a family, a home and responsibilities." Williams said. "I couldn't keep traveling around the country from team to team. I stopped pursuing opportunities to play."
Williams brought his family home to Memphis for good.
He returned to the classroom at The University of Memphis and earned a Master's in teaching in 1994.
Wiliams also earned a second Master's degree in school supervision and administration in 1997.
Williams was Assistant Principal at Ridgeway Middle School before being called on by the Redbirds to join their organization.
"The founders of the Redbirds are generous people," Williams said. "I am very happy they gave me this opportunity."
Williams is now the vice president of community relations with the Memphis Redbirds.
The organization is the only nonprofit team and facility in America.
His accomplishments off the field are just as significant, if not more, than his achievements on the field.
Williams has led by example, coordinating community programs like RBI and Stripes.
"These are two community initiatives the Redbirds have spearheaded," Williams said "The ultimate goal is to provide baseball and softball opportunities to inner city urban children who don't normally have the resources or the exposure to baseball."
The RBI program operates like a summer camp that runs six weeks and has grown since it's inception in 1997.
It is held at 12 locations with over 650 children ages 6-14 participating.
The STRIPES program is managed by the Memphis City School Systems and funded by the Memphis Redbirds.
It is geared toward middle school and junior high students and now has 34 schools participating in interscholastic competition.
"Hopefully, what the Redbirds will eventually do is make a positive impact not only on the citizens of Memphis, but especially the youngsters throughout the city, who are really are future," Williams said. " So, hopefully, I can do something to contribute to a better Memphis down the road."
As a professional baseball player, Reggie Williams was looked up to by young children as a mentor.
Now that he is with the Memphis Redbirds, not much has changed.
"Ultimately, I would still like to be playing major league baseball, but obviously, God had another plan for me," Williams said. " I think right now I'm doing what he wants me to do and hopefully, I'm doing a good job at it."
