Bills RB Antonio Williams honoring late grandfather through NASCAR

March 10, 2021 c_admin NASCAR News Comments Off on Bills RB Antonio Williams honoring late grandfather through NASCAR

Growing up in North Carolina, Buffalo Bills’ Antonio Williams loved NASCAR in large part thanks to his late grandfather, who died last year.

And now, the 23-year-old running back — who’s coming off his rookie NFL season and recently signed a reserve/futures contract with the Bills — is more than a fan of racing.

Days before the start of the 2021 NASCAR season in February, Williams announced his partnership with driver Joe Graf Jr., who’s now in his second season in the second-tier Xfinity Series. He joins New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara as another NFL player to sponsor an Xfinity team or driver. Williams declined to specify the details of his investment.

Williams said he’s been to all four NASCAR race weekends so far this season, and he hopes to get to as many as possible before Bills training camp begins this summer. The running back also was the Grand Marshal for the third-tier Truck Series race last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

With Graf, Williams said he’s working to recruit more sponsors and connect them to boost the driver’s resources. When Graf’s team, SS Green Light Racing, announced last month a new sponsor this season in Z Grills, it described William’s role in that deal as “instrumental.”

For The Win recently spoke with Williams about his love for NASCAR, his future in the sport and working with Graf.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

How did you first get into watching NASCAR?

I grew up watching it with my granddad, and he passed in August. And I wanted to do something in NASCAR to honor him, and that led to everything with Joe. It’s definitely taken off. I think the fact that I’m doing this to honor him is a big reason.

I don’t know if you believe in fate or destiny or everything happening for a reason. But honestly, I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and me getting involved with NASCAR to honor my grandad is the reason it’s going so well right now.

Watching NASCAR now, why are you drawn to it, just because it’s so different from what the racing world calls “stick and ball” sports?

NASCAR is very strategic, and I don’t think a lot of people understand the strategy within it. They don’t get that manufacturing matters, they don’t get that sponsors matter, they don’t get that side of it. I like to observe that and take notice of how drivers drive, how they take drafts, moves they make and key moments. That’s just so exciting to me.

Did you have a favorite driver growing up?

I did, Tony Stewart.

Are you invested in Graf personally or with his team, SS Green Light Racing?

Joe personally, but I’ll obviously help with SS Green Light in any opportunity I can get. What I really want to do is help Joe excel in the sport and continue to learn the business of NASCAR because my goal is to own a team eventually. So this is leading me to that, I believe.

In the Cup Series or at any level?

Any level at this point. Obviously, the Cup Series is the highest, but everybody’s got to start somewhere. I’m a guy that I want to be the best in anything I do, [and] what I can do is build up and learn and get knowledge from that and work up to become the best possible Cup owner.

Do you see your commitment to Graf as something that’s just for now or a long-term thing?

Honestly, I see this being a long-term deal with me and Joe. Partnership, friendship wise, we’re around the same age. We’ve got a very similar story, that journey. We both didn’t have the rookie year that we wanted. This second year, Joe’s [14th] in points right now, and that’s a huge jump from where he was last year.

Did you always want to be a NASCAR owner or sponsor, or was this something that came to you after your grandfather passed?

In all reality, the lifelong dream was to be a driver. But now that I’m in business side of it, I’ve fallen in love with that ownership part. That’s something that I think I’ll be very good at, honestly, because I’m good with connections. I’m good with noticing or seeing potential in guys, and I’ll be able to help build a team that will be successful in NASCAR.

Especially on the owner and sponsorship side, a lot is happening in NASCAR this year. Do you feel like the sport is changing?

There’s a new demographic coming to NASCAR in the fans. And that whole situation with Bubba [Wallace] last season, that made people want to get more interested. That’s beneficial, so I definitely think it’s changing and in a better way. I think it’ll be more innovative. I think there’ll be more ideas to change that will have benefit the sport in the long run. …

With Alvin and myself, I think it brought some people to look at it who have never watched NASCAR. After we announced that I was partnering with Joe, there were so many people that were talking about how they had never watched NASCAR. But because of that, they are. That’s just a little glimpse of what’s happening, and the diversity will just continue to grow.