James Smith-Williams was a seventh-round pick of the Washington Commanders in the 2020 NFL draft. That’s the same year Washington selected defensive end Chase Young No. 2 overall.
While many consider seventh-round picks as throwaways, Washington has found late-round gems, such as Smith-Williams and Kamren Curl.
Smith-Williams has played in 42 of a possible 50 games for Washington since 2020, making 20 starts.
While Smith-Williams has proven to be a critical part of the Commanders’ defense, he’s also a busy man off the field.
Smith-Williams spends much of his free time raising awareness against sexual and domestic violence. Smith-Williams first began as an advocate against domestic violence while he was a student at N.C. State. Smith-Williams heard an advocate speaking about surviving a sexual assault, which was a message that stuck with him.
“Her biggest takeaway was, ‘If you’re a good man, what are you doing to be a good man?’” Smith-Williams told NBC’s TODAY Show in October. “That really stuck with me.”
Earlier this week, Smith-Williams was honored for his outstanding work off the field. He received the “Champion of Justice” award from the D.C. Volunteer Lawyers Project for his work against sexual and domestic violence.
Here’s part of his speech, per Zach Selby of commanders.com.
James Smith-Williams just received the “Champion of Justice” award from the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project for his work against domestic violence. Here’s a bit of his acceptance speech pic.twitter.com/5HLmMFkQh4
— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) April 21, 2023
Congratulations to Smith-Williams on receiving this award. He’s one of the NFL’s good guys.