Though Merrill also called Williams one of the more college-ready players he’s ever coached, he still looked like a freshman at times this spring. Against Jacksonville, Williams committed a crease violation in the first quarter. There was the dropped pass on a fast break before the end of the half and an impatient shot late in the third quarter that led to a Dolphins goal.
“There are always areas to improve,” Danowski said.
Shawn Williams offers his oldest child “dad regards” before and after each game. He usually adds a couple suggestions, too. It comes with the territory of being a coach. There’s one area he rarely mentions.
“I definitely don't tell him how to score,” Shawn Williams said. “He already knows how to do that.”
Nestled in the game notes before Duke hosted Jacksonville was a telling statistic. If Williams kept up his pace of 3.43 goals per game, he’d finish the regular season with 51 goals. That’s Williams’ jersey number, but it’s so much more.
Shawn Williams wore No. 15 until his first year with the Brooklin Redmen in 1996. The captain already had it, so Williams asked if he could flip the numbers around.
“It just kind of stuck,” Shawn Williams said.
It became the family number. Dyson and his younger siblings, Dylana and Tucker, all wore 51. The number took on an added meaning after Tucker lost an 11-month battle to Burkitt’s Lymphoma on Dec. 17, 2014. He was 8 years old when he died.
When Dyson Williams was asked to introduce himself in front of all of his teammates last fall, like every Duke freshman does, his speech quickly turned to Tucker.
“He became a role model for transparency to not be afraid to open up to your teammates,” Danowski said. “He is so genuine, family-oriented and he has such a strong moral compass. In just a few short months, he has melted the hearts of everyone in the program. As good of a player as he is so far, he's an even better person.”
A competitive sprinter growing up, Williams has not run away from his past and the unthinkable loss of his younger brother. He had to grow up fast. He said it still doesn’t feel real, but he’s committed to honoring Tucker’s legacy.
“It’s bigger than a game to him,” Merrill said.
There’s the TW51 Williams writes in sharpie on a piece of athletic tape attached to his chinbar. He tweets on the 17th of every month in remembrance of Tucker.
“I miss you and love you Tuckdog,” he often concludes.
“He was so tough throughout it all, and I learned a lot from him,” said Williams, who was a bone marrow donor for his brother.