Kristoff Williams is more than just the football player you see catching a pass from the quarterback. He has big dreams, and he’s doing everything in his power to achieve them both on the field and in the classroom.

A redshirt junior from Antioch, Calif., before Williams became a Coug, he played as team captain and was a four-year scholar athlete, according to wsucougars.com. He is a dedicated student-athlete, carrying a 3.65 GPA as well as the football down field.

“I enjoy school, honestly,” Williams said. “I want to go to law school after (I graduate). Having that goal in mind keeps me motivated.”

Williams is a criminal justice major with a minor in both sociology and political science. With family back east, he has dreams of attending law school at New York University or Columbia, also keeping in mind the goal of becoming a professional football player.

He said he wants to keep his options open, not leaning one way or the other just yet. But the long hours of both sports and academics can be daunting.

Student athletes have the same obligation as normal students on top of their participation in sports, and it’s rough, Williams said.

“It’s a lot of late nights. I’m tired every day, honestly, at practice,” Williams said. “You’ve just got to keep going, trying, and find ways to push through.”

He said he hasn’t gotten any tips in law from Leach quite yet, explaining that he still has another year before he starts the process of becoming a prosecutor. His dream, though, is to work in Manhattan, as he enjoys the atmosphere of the city.

Williams’ father is currently deployed in Afghanistan, after being deployed in Iraq the year before. He said his father is still able to watch his games on the internet and they still talk often.

He knows the value of hard work, and is showing it in both athletics and academics. Williams said he is focusing on technique, working to become more consistent in practice, which he said will translate to the game.

Also, Williams serves as a representative for all student-athletes as he works hard to achieve his dreams and success.

“It’s a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t see,” he said.

While Williams develops himself as a man and as an athlete, he also notices the growth of the Cougar football team as a whole.  

“You can feel the confidence coming around…We just need to put together wins week after week. We have a big goal in mind, we just have to take it one week at a time,” he said.