Bill Brown :

After earning state-wide recognition as an Eagles lineman, Williams seemed to be on his way to a rewarding college football career. Then the law got in the way. Law school, that is.

A two-time all-district selection, he became a part of the first Baylor recruiting class assembled by Grant Teaff, who would go on to win more games than any football coach in school history. But after two years of opening holes for running backs, Williams said goodbye to football and fixed his gaze on the law.

Today, he’s one of the nation’s best-known litigators. In 1995, he brought a landmark case against Big Tobacco that resulted in a $17.3 billion settlement -- at that point, the nation’s largest legal settlement. Williams also ranks as one of his alma mater’s biggest benefactors. The playing field at the Baylor’s new stadium is named in his honor.