AMHERST — A silver necklace hangs around Shey Williams’ neck.
An oval pendant falls to the center of the former Lockport star’s chest. On the pendant is a picture of a 10-year-old boy. The boy is one of the reasons Williams is still on the University at Buffalo football team, one of the reasons Williams is still at the school.
The boy on the necklace is Williams’ younger brother Javarius. On Feb. 6, 2025, an electrical fire broke out and Javarius and his two siblings — who were left alone in the Batavia house — were trapped inside.
His siblings got out, but Javarius did not.
Javarius’ guardian, Henry Banks, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.
Back in Amherst, Williams didn’t have much to distract himself from the grief. His freshman football season was finished and spring ball hadn’t started.
But Williams’ teammates supported him through the grieving process and made him feel a part of the team. The team confirmed to him why UB was the place that he always wanted to go and play football.
“Honestly, that’s one of the biggest things being here since even before that and after my teammates and coaches they just always been here for me,” Williams said. “It’s a connection and … we’re a family, a brotherhood. It’s more than that. I just feel so comfortable being here with them.”
All of the challenges that he has faced have taught him a lot both about himself and how he carries himself in the world. It has taught him some of the most important lessons he has learned in his life. Whether or not he gets on the field does not change impact the legitimacy of those lessons. In fact, they reinforce the lessons.
His first three years have not been easy and they have been trying for the wide receiver. But he has worked hard to find his way.
“Definitely the biggest lessons in my career is stay down and don’t be so hard on yourself,” Williams said. “… If you just keep working and be patient your time will come, maybe it won’t but if you don’t work then that’s your reason. If you’re not working then there’s no excuse. So it’s hard, you just have to keep working.”
As a walk-on, the work that Williams has put in has not resulted in a ton of playing time yet. Through his first three years at the University at Buffalo, Williams has played in one game, appearing on offense against St. Francis on Sept. 6, 2025. He came in and blocked on a running play late in the game.
In an era of college sports in which players don’t stay at one school long, especially if they aren’t contributing on the field. Williams could have gone to an FCS, Division II or Division III school looking for more playing time.
But he did not choose to do that. He chose to stay at Buffalo and try to force the coach’s hands and spend more time on the field. He knows he has the ability to play at the highest college level but he just needs the opportunity to do so. In fact, the thought about leaving for more playing time somewhere else has never crossed his mind.
“I just have to keep getting better,” Williams said. “It’s just little things, I keep getting better. I think my time’s coming so I just have to keep working and I think my time’s going to come.”
One of the people who has seen Williams work behind the scenes is his head coach Pete Lembo. The work and the struggle that comes with being a non-scholarship player is something that Lembo can relate to having played at the NCAA Division III level.
As a non-scholarship player, through his first two years at the school Williams’ job has been simple but important. His job has been on the scout team helping the first team get ready for their upcoming opponents. He and the rest of his scout-team teammates are there to imitate what the first team defense will be seeing when they take the field on Saturdays.
“I will say this about Shey, he has overcome a lot of adversity,” Lembo said. “He has worked very hard to be a part of this program, to balance funding for school and academic success and still being a valuable member of this team. … Shey is a good athlete and he needs to keep progressing in terms of the game slowing down for him. But (I) enjoy being around him every day.”
Lembo has not only recognized the adversity on and off the field that Williams has gone through, it was also recognized by the athletic department. On May 5, Williams was named as the recipient of the 2026 One4Mon Courageous Student Athlete Award thanks to the fact that he has “shown courage in the face of significant adversity and perseverance, inspiring those around them to strive for excellence.”
It is an award named after former Buffalo women’s volleyball player Monika Simkova who underwent a double leg amputation in 2021. In responding to his own challenges, Williams has taken on a mindset of just keep looking ahead and working to constantly improve.
“I think the most important thing is just keep moving forward and just living each day and just moving forward,” Williams said. “The biggest thing I think is not staying in one place and if something happens, don’t get down on yourself, just keep working and then keep working at it. I think if it’s anything you’re going through in life you just keep your head down and keep working.”