The journey Dan Williams has been on is nothing short of exceptional. Now a Chiefs offensive assistant, the former Stevenson University quarterback just won his third Super Bowl with Kansas City.
Williams never could have imagined where life was going to take him following his playing days. He first joined the Chiefs organization in 2019 as an intern after graduating from Stevenson. Now an offensive quality control and assistant quarterbacks coach, Williams has been along for the ride as the Chiefs made their way to four Super Bowl appearances in the last five years, securing himself three Super Bowl rings in the process.
“It definitely means a lot. I think the biggest thing when I left Stevenson was wanting to continue to be a good person and put on a good face for what the program meant to me in my five years there,” Williams said on Glenn Clark Radio on Feb. 15. “… It wasn’t just me that made that program special when we were there. It was the collective unit around me, including [head coach Ed Hottle]. So just trying to do those things for those guys so that one day, they might get a chance to be at this level as well.”
Before hitting it big in Kansas City, Williams made a name for himself at Stevenson. He became the program’s all-time leader in passing yards (7,139), passing touchdowns (61), completions (277) and passing attempts (449), yet in many ways it seems like coaching was in Williams’ blood.
Williams is the son of longtime Eagles assistant coach Ted Williams, who worked under Andy Reid in Philadelphia. Though his father helped shape his life and create his love for the game, Williams says making the switch from playing to coaching was not an easy choice. Looking back on it, he is positive he made the right choice.
“It was hard. It was hard at first because even though I was coming off two injuries, I still felt like I have more to contribute to the game,” Williams said. “But I was talking to my wife about it [recently]. I know for sure if I was still pursuing my playing career in the spring of 2019, I wouldn’t be here with the Chiefs, five years later a three-time Super Bowl champion. At that point in time, I think it was just God telling me, ‘It’s time for you to hang it up and I’ve got bigger things for you.'”
The 2023 Chiefs were not the same type of offensive juggernaut fans were used to seeing in Kansas City. They were ranked No. 1 in the NFL in scoring offense in 2022, averaging 29.2 points per game, but ranked No. 9 in scoring offense in 2023, averaging 21.8 points.
In fact, many were writing off the Chiefs after they lost three of four games in December, one of which was a sloppy loss to the struggling Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day. However, Williams saw a championship mentality that kept the Chiefs going and gave them a chance to return to the summit.
“I think it is that championship character that these guys have. It’s in their DNA now,” Williams said. “With this run, especially having two championships prior, I think guys understand the moment. No moment is too big for these guys and they stick together, even when it wasn’t looking great there in November and early December. The guys didn’t quit on each other.”
Williams also credited the coaching staff for the Chiefs’ success in 2023. He is extremely thankful to learn from his peers, pointing out receivers coach Connor Embree for his contributions in particular.
“I think he instills in those guys a confidence in them daily from OTAs to training camps to throughout the season, that no matter what’s going on, you guys are built to this moment,” Williams said. “… Just go play. Just go off and have fun, trust your work ethic and the things you’ve done to get here and it will all pan out. So even when things were going bad there … the guys didn’t lose focus and didn’t lose sight of the goal and I think that was key.”
Fresh off winning Super Bowl LVIII, many Chiefs players, including stars like Travis Kelce, have vowed to three-peat during the 2024 season. Williams doesn’t believe that’s out of the realm of possibility, given everything he’s seen and knows about the team.
“I think once we get going, I think the goal will still be to find a way to get back to playing in February next year,” Williams said. “No matter what that looks like, whether it’s a high-powered offense like in years past or a defense that’s killing it like it was this year. Find a way to get back to that pinnacle and make it happen again.”
Williams isn’t so sure what the long-range future holds for him personally, but he believes the sky is the limit no matter what.
“I think each year you grow and you learn and you get better as a coach and as an individual. I think when the time is right, the Lord will make itself for me to be a play-caller or quarterback coach,” Williams said. “But until then, I’ll keep learning and growing with Coach Reid and this staff and just trying to be someone that can be a value-added.”
For more from Williams, listen to the full interview here:
See Also: Chiefs Offensive Assistant Dan Williams On His Journey From Stevenson To Kansas City
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Kansas City Chiefs