Former Terp Williams Giving Back To Native Country

Minnesota Viking’s safety Madieu Williams has to be the only NFL player from the African nation of Sierra Leone. When he was nine-years-old, his mother, a nurse, would take him on her rounds through hospital wards in the West African nation that is among the poorest in the world.

There, he learned the importance, the necessity of giving. The Williams were poor, themselves—they lived in a ramshackle, two-story building that seemed forever in danger of collapse—but Madieu’s mother gave to others whatever she could.
It was a lesson her son never forgot.

After immigrating to the U.S., Williams began his collegiate career at Towson State before transferring to Maryland as a walk-on player. He was a full-time starter for the Terps in his final 2 seasons, starting 27 games and helping the Terps rise in the polls. Williams’ Maryland teams went 21-6 in his tenure and outscored West Virginia (41-7) and Tennessee (30-3) by a combined 71-10 in the Gator Bowl and Peach Bowl respectively.

He’s been in the NFL since 2004, and he is active in community service through the Madieu Williams Foundation. Recently he built a school and has been leading educational and medical missions to his native country.

This morning the Today show profiled Williams and his efforts. To see it, click here.