Road to Redemption: The Story of Darrell Williams

Five years ago, Darrell Williams attended a party that would change his life. Thankfully, with help from the city of Chicago, he’s getting that life back.

When the Chicago Bulls hit the floor in Nevada for their Las Vegas Summer League opener on Saturdayagainst top overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves, keep an eye on Bulls forward Darrell Williams (No. 30).

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No, it’s not because Williams is the must-see prospect on this current Bulls roster. That title lies with Doug McDermott or this year’s draft pick Bobby Portis from Arkansas.

The reason why watching Williams will be intriguing isn’t because of his game — which is solid — but because around this time two years ago, Williams was in jail for a crime he did not commit.

After becoming a top hoop star at Dunbar Academy in Chicago, Williams enrolled at the smaller Chipola College, a school in Florida, due to poor grades and test scores. Williams would later transfer to Oklahoma State, and attended a party on campus that would change his life.

On that night, two women claimed that Williams sexually assaulted them, and just over 19 months later, his once-promising career seemed over. Despite no physical evidence or witnesses, Williams was convicted by a jury of rape and was sentenced to three months in prison, ending his tenure on the OSU hoop roster.

“That’s when I just shouted out, like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this,'” Williams said in an interview with Joe Trahan of USA Today back in March.

But, with a little help from Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Chicago Innocence Project, the CIP found evidence that both of Williams’ accusers had suffered mental health issues and one had twice been arrested for theft.

The Oklahoma Court of Appeals overturned their conviction and Williams was set free of all charges. “I started cryin,'” Williams said. “It was a very emotional day.”

From a wonderful profile piece by Chicago Magazine’s Bryan Smith last year:

"“God has a plan,” Williams says, over lunch at a restaurant near the gym. “There were times I wanted to scream, ‘No, this isn’t right!’ At the end of the day, there’s still long-term damage to my name. But you can’t go back and get those two years back. In this next part of my journey, I just want to stay humble.”"

It’s safe to say that Williams has been through a ton in his lifetime already, and for him to receive a chance with his hometown team is nothing short than an amazing story of perseverance, humbleness and triumph.

Williams was wrongly convicted of a serious crime (especially in today’s age of sexual assaults rightfully gaining more mainstream attention) and it almost ended his basketball career right then and there.

During his time at OSU, Williams’ career got off to a promising start, averaging 13.6 points and 13.9 rebounds (per a 40-minute pace), along with a 19.8 player efficiency rating and a 107.2 offensive rating in 23 games for the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State assistant coach Steven Middleton on Williams (via Chicago Magazine):

"“He was a nimble guy for his size,” says Middleton, who left the Oklahoma State staff in April of this year. “He had good feet, good hands. He was strong as an ox. He was quick, could dribble, and he just had a knack for rebounding.” Court skills weren’t all that sold him on Williams. “The first thing I noticed was his smile. His smile just lights up a room. He was a Chicago kid, and I’m a city guy myself. I just started to develop a relationship with him. Over the phone and talking with him. Talking with his people back in Chicago. There was nothing phony about him. He comes from hard beginnings—he has some toughness to him—but he got along with everybody.”"

There’s a limited chance that Williams makes this current Bulls roster, but with a cleared name, one can’t help but wonder if Williams can help his cause with a good showing in limited action during the LVSL circuit.

For more on Williams’ background, here’s the full Chicago Magazine profile of him from last September here.

Next: Chicago Bulls Summer League: W2W4

Five years ago, Darrell Williams attended a party that would change his life. Thankfully, with help from the city of Chicago, he’s getting that life back.

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