The reporter and the athlete

By Andrew Johnson

It’s not everyday that your best friend is selected in the NFL draft. But it happened to me. Isaiah Williams, whom I’ve known since pre-kindergarten, was picked in the sixth round of April’s draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

I’ll never forget the day Isaiah and I met playing tag, and now that we’re grown, I couldn’t be more proud of him. Even though I didn’t have the opportunity to see him play a lot in high school—he attended Bergen Catholic High while I attended Montclair (N.J.) High—I’ve always believed that he had the athleticism to become a professional football player.

To even fathom the idea that I will get a chance to see him play on Sunday afternoons is refreshing. I’m even more excited for him.

Perhaps what’s most enjoyable for me is that we are both following our dreams. What’s even better is that I have a best friend who feels the same way.

“I really feel that we are truly blessed to have come out of college and be doing something that we love,” Williams, a wide receiver who played for Maryland, said this week in a text message. “It’s not often that people are able to fall in the line of work that they set out for, so I thank God every day.”

Some people come into your life for a season, and some come in for a lifetime. I’m assured that Isaiah is a lifetime friend, and as we continue on life’s journey together, we will just have to wait and see when the reporter meets the athlete.