West Cancer Foundation
Board of Directors
DeAngelo Williams
Founder, The DeAngelo Williams Foundation
DeAngelo Williams is a former American football running back. In 2001 he was considered the top running back in the state of Arkansas. He played college football at his beloved University of Memphis as a highly touted signee. With the Tigers, in three separate games, he scored 24 total points, which remains a school record to this day. After graduating from the University of Memphis, he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played for the Panthers until 2014 and then joined the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015 – 2016.
DeAngelo’s mother, Sandra was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. After ten years of battling the illness, she died in 2014 at the age of 53. Four of his Aunts also had battled breast cancer, and sadly none lived to the age of 50. Coupled with losing his Aunts and his Mother, DeAngelo was set on a new path and became determined to dedicate time and funding to breast cancer awareness by founding The DeAngelo Williams Foundation. Since its inception, the foundation has funded over 900 free mammograms for the underserved.
Today, DeAngelo and his wife Risalyn live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and have four children: Rhiya, Decker, Reyna, and DJ. Risalyn is the Executive Director of The DeAngelo Williams Foundation.
In one of his last conversations, Sandra challenged her son: Fight breast cancer for every woman who will suffer. God willing, no woman will feel as though she has to face the disease alone.