Hillsdale’s Leading Man
Written by Doug Goodnough
Before there was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there was DeWayne “Rock” Williams, ‘89.
And although “The Rock” Johnson is one of Hollywood’s leading men, “Rock” Williams was more of a supporting cast member on the Hillsdale College men’s track and field team until his junior year. The Detroit native who transferred in to play football eventually became a “star” of the 1989 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference track and field champion Chargers. In fact, the former co-captain and ultimate team player was an all-conference performer in multiple events—and set school records in both the high jump and triple jump during his time on campus.
Not bad for someone who first came to Hillsdale to play football with former Detroit Cass Tech High School and eventual Charger teammate Nate Perkins, ’89.
“I graduated a year before Nate and went to Central State (Ohio). I wasn’t really happy there. Hillsdale started recruiting Nate, and he asked me to come up with him on his visit. Coach (Pat) Riepma, Coach (Dave) Dye, and Coach (Dick) Lowry were all over Nate. I was minding my own business when Coach (Ron) Gladnick walked up to me and asked, ‘What’s your deal?’”
An hour later, Williams was on the football field running through passing drills and was eventually offered a football scholarship. He played defensive back and was a special teams standout on the 1985 NAIA national championship and 1988 GLIAC champion teams.
Once he was on campus, track and field—and Head Coach Bill Lundberg—quickly came calling.
“My intention was not to run (track) at all,” Williams said. “Track wasn’t even on the radar.”
However, “Wild Bill” Lundberg would sit in the stadium stands, “coincidentally” waiting for his cross country practice to end, and would watch the football players run the 40-yard dash on the stadium turf.
“I guess he liked my 40 time,” Williams said.
Lundberg eventually persuaded Williams to run track, and he became a quick contributor in the sprint and relay events. Williams said the team at the time had All-Americans like Paul Aufdemberge, ’87, Ryan Pschigoda, ’90, and John Chandler, ’87, not to mention teammate Darryl “Chili Mo” Warner, ’89, an all-everything sprinter. So he said his growth centered around the team.
When it was time to elect team captains during his junior year, Williams said he was surprised to learn that he was up for consideration—even though he was not on the ballot.
“I was struggling and trying to find my niche, and trying to keep up with Darryl (Warner),” Williams said. “He was the star. But teammates, and I would say one in particular, Rich Péwé, pulled me to the side and said, ‘Don’t be content with being a co-star. I see what you are capable of. Why not you?’ Those are the exact words he told me. That kind of motivated me. It gave me the bump I needed.”
Williams was also trying to find other events to add to his repertoire. He decided to give the long and triple jumps a try.
“I never long jumped in high school,” Williams said. “And I discovered the triple jump by accident.”
He asked Lundberg if he could compete in the triple jump, and Lundberg said he had two days to learn the event and be able to jump 43 feet. Williams did both, and less than a year later, was the GLIAC triple jump champion and broke a 46-year-old school record.
One of his career highlights was the 1989 GLIAC Outdoor Championships hosted by Hillsdale. The Chargers entered the final event—the triple jump—just one point off the lead and an eventual championship. It was up to Williams, and Lundberg made sure he knew the team was behind him.
“(Lundberg) gathered everybody around the track. And he had them clapping and cheering me on,” Williams recalled. “He told me that ‘if you can pull off this jump, we’ll win it.’ That motivated me. I ended up popping off a good jump. It was a made-for-TV moment. The hugging and support of the team was something that I’ll never forget.”
Williams has taken that success into his personal and professional life. After graduating with his degree in finance, Williams has spent more than three decades in the banking industry, and is currently a risk management manager for Truist Bank. He and his wife of 30 years, Susan, have lived in the Atlanta, Georgia, area since 1994.
A longtime coach and youth sports trainer before recently stepping away, Williams also competed in the USA Track and Field’s master’s track and field program for several years. In fact, he had several top five finishes and was once ranked in the top 10 in the world in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes.
Williams’ other passion is mentoring and ministering to youths in the Atlanta area. In 2010, he helped start the Jacob D. Bullock Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps at-risk youth in Gwinnett County.
“I explain to people that a child is at risk every time they leave their home,” Williams said, “whether it is through negative influence or just physical incidents or persuasion. You just want to provide them with the right foundation and let them know that anything they encounter, that if they have any questions, that it’s best to speak with someone.”
Williams said Lundberg and former faculty members Robert Seaman and James Juroe helped mentor him at Hillsdale.
“That is my guy,” Williams said of Lundberg. “He was all about family and the team, but he was all about the individual as well. Even though there were stars, he made me feel like I was one.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s new director of Alumni Marketing. He’s looking forward to connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in July 2022