DURHAM, N.C. — Considered one of the best lacrosse players in the country, Duke University's Dyson Williams began his professional career after being selected No. 1 overall by Albany in last fall's National Lacrosse League draft. There was a possibility.
But Williams decided to return for his final year of eligibility, hoping to help the Blue Devils take a step forward from their national runner-up finish a year ago.
The sport not only provided him with a future as a professional athlete, but also special friendships with his family, including his sister Delana, who also plays lacrosse in the ACC.
“My sister wears No. 51 at the University of Pittsburgh,” Dyson Williams said.
“My brother also played growing up, so I got to watch him. We all wear number 51 because that's what my dad did. Sports. It's really wonderful that “can further strengthen family ties and bring friendships.'' Together, we have a number that symbolizes strength and humility.'' ”
strength and humility.
Those two words came to define the Williams family in 2014 when they faced the ultimate test: Dyson Williams' younger brother, Tucker. Tucker was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Burkitt's lymphoma.
Losing a brother at the age of 14 is a lot to ask a teenager to endure, but his entire family turned his tragedy into a lasting legacy.
“During his first surgery, his nurse told our family that Tucker was 'braver than brave.' That was the beginning of the Braver Than Brave movement. We are now… “I started a foundation in Tucker's name called Braver Than Brave, which donates money to sick children every year at a hospital in Toronto, Ontario,” said Williams, a native of Ontario, Canada.
“You know the Tucker name still lives on,” he said. “This year marks 10 years since his death, and it's very sad and certainly strange to say. It still hasn't hit home.”
