From five years on the Missouri Military Academy (MMA) Colonels soccer team to winning the 2023 Armed Forces Men’s Soccer Championship with the All-Army Soccer team, alumnus Don Williams Jr. ’18 has been on quite the post-graduation journey. 

During his middle school and high school education at MMA, Williams was involved in soccer, basketball, choir and JROTC Raiders. He earned numerous awards, including the Outstanding MMA Athlete award; Red Ireland Trophy, which honors James “Red” Ireland Jr., Class of 1941, and recognizes loyalty, courage and heart; U.S. Army Recruiting Command Award for JROTC; and the Paul Petit Award for international relations.

As a high school senior cadet in 2018, Williams signed a national letter of intent to attend Cumberland University in Tennessee. He played soccer semi-professionally at Temecula FC and later played for Albion San Diego.

Williams is currently stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. as a combat medic in the 82nd Airborne Division. While at Fort Bragg, he started playing for the Fort Bragg post team “Bragg FC.”

“After attending numerous tournaments and training camps, I submitted an application to play for All-Army Soccer,” Williams says. “I had to undergo technical evaluations from former coaches, as well as an in-depth resume on my experience and knowledge of the game.”

Once selected, Williams attended a training camp in Killeen, Texas, where the 28 selected players were reduced to 18. There, he was chosen to represent the U.S. Army in the Armed Forces Championship. April 5-11, the All-Army team competed in the 2023 Armed Forces Men’s Soccer Championship at Camp Pendleton in San Diego — and won. Congratulations to Williams and the All-Army team.

Williams says he is grateful to the Academy’s leadership for guiding him into who he is today.

“Missouri Military Academy will always be home,” Williams says. “From the ages of 12 to 18, I walked those halls and learned so much. I hope all current and future cadets value the brotherhood that is MMA.”