A Moment I’ll Never Forget at Cody High School

Today, I walked into Cody High School to talk about a new film-making partnership. I walked out with a blessing that touched my soul.

Last year, after a book signing for Obstacle Conquered, I put out a challenge to a group of young men at Cody: write an essay about what my journey meant to you, and I’d award a check for your effort. I hadn’t heard anything back—until Friday.

A teacher reached out to tell me a student—who wasn’t even at the signing—heard about my challenge and wrote an essay anyway.

Today, I met that young man. I awarded him $250—not just for writing, but for his courage to respond to a challenge he wasn’t even invited to directly.

What moved me to tears is that this young man is autistic. And as I stood beside him, I was reminded of my late brother, Terrance “Ga Ga” Williams. As a child, my brother contracted spinal meningitis, which affected his speech and nervous system—but not his determination. He learned how to bump cars at Washington Trade and later became my lead man in our family landscaping business. He cut grass with pride. He was dependable, joyful, and driven.

Ga Ga may have left this world too soon, but today, in that young man at Cody, I saw the same spirit: strength beyond the struggle. Purpose beyond the pain. Despite, you can still be effective.

And though I never attended Cody myself, it played a role in my own story. I was a senior at Henry Ford when we played Cody. We lost 2–0. But after the game, a teammate told me something I’ll never forget: “A college scout asked who was #83.” That was me. That moment shifted my mindset. I hadn’t even been thinking about college, but for the first time, I believed I had college potential.

That’s what Cody gave me then—a glimpse of what could be. And today, it gave me another: a young man who proved that greatness isn’t defined by ability or circumstance—but by the heart to try.

We are more than our obstacles. We are the stories we rise from.