Jonathan Briley takes part in cornerback drills

“That was the best part of the recruiting process,” said Briley on sharing a meal with the man who holds the record for the most wins in the history of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. “It seemed like we talked about everything that had to do with me and my future at Saint Paul’s College.”

On his three year quest to find the right college, Briley quickly found out that, as a D-II athlete, his decision was about more than just athletics.

As Briley’s stock rose from a fringe D-II prospect to one of the highest rated D-II cornerbacks in V.a., his outlook on life changed with it.

Briley started to get real about where he wanted to spend the next four years of his life, and where he wanted to be after those four years.

To start with, Briley knew that at 5-foot-9, 171-pounds, his physical attributes weren’t going to get him very far.

Briley’s ticket to the scholarship he wanted was going to be more about grades, work ethic, and dedication, something Briley said he lacked at the start of his high school career.

“My mom took me out [of football] my freshman year because I wasn’t dedicated enough,” he said. “So I started playing my sophomore year in high school. I played JV half of the season and then they moved me up to varsity special teams as a returner.”

From there, Briley’s dedication earned him a partial scholarship to St. Pauls and a spot behind two future professional football players on the Tigers depth chart, including Arizonia Cardinals cornerback Greg Toler.

Briley redshirted his first year, learned all he could from teammates like Toler, and in the last two years he’s amassed two interceptions, 34 tackles, and one force fumble.

Now Briley finds himself on top of the Tigers depth chart heading into his junior year. But Briley’s biggest accomplishment is maintaining a 3.0 GPA through high school and college, and his biggest dreams lie outside of football too.

“I plan on leaving here with a degree in a History and an endorsement in secondary education,” Briley said. “My dream is to teach high school history.”

Briley also looks forward to the opportunity to play in the CFL as he is being scouted by several teams. As he pushes on, the opportunities for his future success are endless.

AJ Williams WR, Stillman College DII

AJ Williams can still recall all of those voices telling him he would never make it — telling him college football wasn’t even worth trying. At the time, those voices almost had Williams convinced. Now, they are part of what’s driving him as he finds himself on the verge of becoming a scholarship wide receiver at Division-2 Stillman College in Alabama.

“After high school, a lot of people were trying to tell me that I was done,” said Williams who just finished his sophomore season at Stillman. “And, at first I was ready to give up too.” Williams always wanted a shot at college football but not a single school showed interest in him after two stellar years in high school.

“I never used any recruiting resources,” Williams said. “I really didn’t know of any. I just figured if I played well enough someone would contact me.”

When no one did, Williams had to scramble to find the right college. When his search landed him at Stillman College, that’s when the adversity really began.

Despite being a stand-out receiver and special teams player in high school, Williams was just another face in the crowd at Stillman. “I was treated like every other walk-on,” he said. “Sometimes it felt like my coach was a little harder on me than some of the other guys. Kinda felt like they were trying to make me quit.”

But Williams never quit. Quitting wasn’t an option for Williams after that first day.

Just like in high school — when he didn’t break into full-time varsity duties until his junior year — Williams remained persistent. He stayed focused and he kept working until someone took notice. Williams made sure he stood out on the practice field as a freshman. This season, he earned limited playing time as a receiver, but he made enough
of an impression to put himself on the verge of starting and earning a college scholarship.

Not bad for a kid who almost called it a career after high school. “I just prayed and made sure I talked to my parents everyday,” Williams said. “Prayer and family is the reason why I am where I am today. I’m glad I got the chance and I’m glad I stuck with it.”