July 14, 2017

Leadership, work ethic made Williamson top choice for Man of the Year

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Daniel Williamson might not have grabbed a lot of headlines or held the media’s attention. But he didn’t need to. As one of the hardest workers in the Tennessee Tech athletic department as a member of the cross country team, Williamson’s leadership and work ethic helped the program reach new heights and build toward the future. He excelled in the classroom and he gave back to the community.

By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Daniel Williamson might not have grabbed a lot of headlines or held the media's attention.

But he didn't need to. As one of the hardest workers in the Tennessee Tech athletic department as a member of the cross country team, Williamson's leadership and work ethic helped the program reach new heights and build toward the future.

He excelled in the classroom and he gave back to the community.

So, no, while he may not have been the most highly recognizable name on the sports page, chances are he impacted the lives of more than just his own teammates, but also the campus and surrounding community.

At the end of his athletic career, he exemplified what a Tennessee Tech student-athlete is supposed to be – a scholar, an athlete, a humanitarian.

When Williamson's profile appeared before the awards committee back in April as the group was making its decision for Tennessee Tech Athletics' Man of the Year Award, his accomplishments were impressive.

Not only was he an important figure in the success of the Golden Eagles' cross country team in the 2016 campaign, he proved to be a leader on and off the course, a strong student academically and visible in the community, helping to give back to the surrounding areas.

The award itself honored athletic, academic and community achievement – all three playing a major role in what is perceived as the ideal for a Tennessee Tech student-athlete.

"Tech Athletics provided me with everything a student-athlete needs to be successful while in school," Williamson said. "The academic support that was always available to me no doubt played a huge role in my classroom success. Having access to top-notch trainers at the APC, medical staff in the training room, and great coaches who wanted me to be successful on and off the field set me up for a great four years at Tech. Getting the chance to give back to the community through volunteer work helped me gain a lot of appreciation for Tech and the Cookeville community."

For the Man of the Year Award, Williamson had some tough competition to counter.

Alberto Esteban from men's tennis had championships to his credit, a 3.83 grade point average in mechanical engineering, and helped design an app to assist an 8-year-old child who could not speak or move the majority of his body;
Matt Jones from baseball was a fantastic hitter for the Golden Eagles, a leader in the community, volunteering with Life Church and was also involved in more than 70 hours of community service;
J.T. Rankin and Jordan Smith from football put together fantastic years for Tech football and took part in the team's initiative for over a thousand hours combined of community service.

In the most recent years, it was one of the most involved group of finalists for the award. However, Williamson's commitment to the balance between academics, athletics and community service made him the overwhelming favorite.

His leadership skill was most notable. After all, he had spent three seasons as the team's captain. During that time, he helped guide the team to one of its best years in program history. Williamson, himself, ranks as the sixth fastest individual in the team's all-time roster for the 8K and 10K races.

He was decorated by the team in 2013 as its Rookie of the Year, the Most Improved in 2015 and the Most Dedicated in 2014 and 2016.

And through Williamson's dedication and leadership to the cross country program, momentum has built. The team has grown through his career and is arguably in the best shape it has ever been with the promise of greater success in the years to come.

"The future is definitely bright for the cross country team and it is a direct result of the team buying into the culture that Coach (Wayne) Angel and Coach (Eugene) Frazier have made at Tech," Williamson said. "Trusting the long process that it takes to be successful and 'pushing through the discomfort' as our coaches tell us every day has begun to pay off. While running is an individual sport, it takes everyone on the team supporting and trusting each other to be successful, and that's what we were able to find this past season."

Williamson wasn't just a leader on the Golden Eagle team. He served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Obion County Central High School cross country team from 2013 to 2016, then became a volunteer assistant track coach at Cookeville High in January.

"Being a captain of the cross country team and a volunteer coach in my spare time, I was able to gain a lot of experience as a leader and also have the chance to positively impact younger athletes," Williamson said.

He also excelled in the class room, earning multiple nods to the university's Dean's List, Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. He was named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association's All-Region Academic team in 2016. Williamson received his degree in the May commencement exercises.

But being able to maintain that balance between academics and athletics is a strenuous process – one that Williamson was able to sustain.

"Taking the self-discipline that running gave me and applying it to my school work, I was able to manage the stress of running, school and volunteering," he said.

Williamson was also the team representative to Tech's chapter of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, later serving as the organization's president in 2016-17. Through SAAC, he oversaw countless hours of community service projects from a canned food drive, Hoops for Heroes with the Wounded Warrior Project, a T-shirt drive and a HeadStart Program money drive for Backpack Buddies.

"SAAC gives athletes the opportunity to make a positive difference not only for other athletes, but for our community as well," Williamson said. "Being able to give back to the community is both a humbling and awesome experience. Whether it was a T-shirt drive, making sack lunches for underprivileged preschool kids, or spending time talking to U.S. military veterans, you realize how fortunate you are to be able to wake up every day with clothes in your closet and food in your fridge."

In addition to SAAC, Williamson was also a tutor in the athletic department, a member of the Exercise Science Major's Club and served on the TTU Academic Council. He also participated in a Run Through the Park event at Dogwood Park with the cross country team.

But has the experience been worth it? All the long hours studying and practicing and being a productive member of the community add up, but for Williamson, it's something he values because of what it has provided him.

"One of the biggest things Tech Athletics has given back to me is lifelong friendships and connections that I will take with me for the rest of my life," he said. "The best advice I can give is make as many connections as possible with other students, professors and staff because those connections will open up doors for you in the future."

Tennessee Tech Athletics Man of the Year Award Winners

1993 – Ben Holt (Baseball)

1994 – Mike Kinney (Baseball)

1995 – Willie Queen (Football)

1996 – Gerald Bentley (Football)

1997 – Robert Taylor (Football)

1998 – Jeff Norman (Football)

1999 – T.J. Christian (Football)

2000 – Wes Gallagher (Football)

2001 – Larrie Smith (Basketball)

2002 – Grant Swallows (Football)

2003 – Brent Jolly (Basketball)