Interview with Pyrobel Killester’s Royce Williams

Pyrobel Killester don’t have Jermaine Turner anymore, however they do have a new American star in their ranks. He’s a  6’ 5” guard who’s bounced back from adversity in college to begin his professional career in Ireland. 

Unfortunately for ‘Rolls’ Royce, as he’s been nicknamed by his Killester team-mates, adversity had struck again as he picked up what looked like an achilles injury in the defeat to SSE Airtricity Moycullen a few weeks ago. However, Williams made a welcome return to the Killester line-up in their 90-78 defeat to Garvey’s Tralee Warriors at the end of October.

Royce Williams grew up in Los Angeles, California in a tough neighbourhood, but Williams credits both his parents, and the game of basketball for putting his life on the right path. He said, “I started playing sports to stay out of trouble. My neighbourhood wasn't as bad as the media makes LA out to be but it had it's problems. When I was 12 I was fortunate enough to be accepted to a private school, where I was exposed to many different and life changing opportunities. I played football, lacrosse, and basketball. I told my parents that I wanted to play football in high school but my Mom wouldn't allow me so I chose basketball.”

After deciding on basketball Williams had big ambitions, “Once I picked basketball it was always my ambition to go to a Division 1 college and make it to the NBA. I had a tough time academically in high school so I had to go to a prep school for a year and then a military junior college in Roswell, New Mexico. But I always knew that I would achieve my goal of being a Division 1 basketball player.”

However, that’s when disaster struck as he explains, “I tore my ACL my freshman year of college and that really devastated me. But I knew God had a plan for me! In America we have a thing called redshirting- which means I could sit out a year but could retain a year of eligibility for sports. So I did that and rehabbed my knee. My confidence returned and I played the following season, which lead to me being recruited by Weber State.”

“I went on a visit to Weber which is in Ogden, Utah. It was my first official visit so I was very excited, I met the coaches and the team which included Damian Lillard. I hadn't heard of him but my coaches told me he was going to be a top pick in that years draft. I was able to sit in and watch his workouts and it was just amazing how talented this guy is. He maybe missed 2 shots in the span of an hour and a half workout. I got to meet him and talk about a wide range of things and I was sold on Weber off of that interaction alone. I signed with them on the spot.”

“At Weber I learned values that will stick with me my whole life. The importance of character, doing the right thing when nobody is looking. Hard work and competing, and man I had some of the hardest times in my life in those practices. I was always the best player on my team wherever I went, but what most people don't realize is that at the D1 level everybody on the team was the star wherever they were from as well. So it's all about proving yourself everyday that you belong to be there because it essentially is a business at that level and if you aren't getting it done they will recruit somebody in over you to get it done. I felt like I should’ve started at times at Weber but it didn't work out that way.”

“We had so much talent on the teams during my time there it was ridiculous. My first year there 2012-2013 we were 1 of  3 teams in the whole nation that finished with 30 wins. And that next season we won the Big Sky championship. Those guys are my brothers for life! And a handful of them play overseas now in Spain, Italy, France, Denmark. My team-mates Joel Bolomboy and Jeremy Senglin play for the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets. My team-mate Frank "Mook" Otis played here in Ireland. So just a lot of talent and I don't regret my time at Weber at all. Coach Randy Rahe is a legend and that coaching staff taught me a lot especially Coach Eric Duft who recruited me.”

In his two years at Weber State Williams (pictured above playing for Fort Hays State) featured in 57 games, however never as a starter. He moved on to finish his college career at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Williams said, “When I left Weber State I was sad. I didn't want to leave but I felt I needed to get a fresh start. I transferred to a Division 2 school in Kansas at a weird time in my life but I enjoyed my time there.”

Williams explain the main difference between Division 1 and 2 colleges in the States, “The difference between D1 and D2 is all about perspective, because there are low D1s, mid major D1s which is Weber, and then Major D1s which are the Duke and Kentucky type schools. I played guys in D2 that could play D1. They probably just didn't have the grades or exposure to get there.”

He says that he really enjoyed his overall college experience, “Overall my college basketball experience was a 10/10. Weber was easily the best stage in my life so far. I learned that punctuality is important in all aspects of life. If they told me to be somewhere at 3:00pm that really means be there at 2:50. The basketball team was the main draw in our town so we had the best fans ever. I would sign autographs and everyone knew who we were. I played in front of 8,000 plus fans every home game, the atmosphere was incredible.”

He sets out on his professional basketball career a little late in life but says he wanted to finish his studies first, “This is my first year professionally with any club. I wanted to finish my degree so I took time to do that and work in the real world. But once I finished I got the itch back and I got after my goal of being a pro, so here I am in Dublin, Ireland.”

How would he describe himself as a player? “If I had to describe the type of player I am I would just say I’m a two-way player. I'm going to score the ball and then I'm going to come down the other end and get after my assignment on defence. I feel I can guard each position on the floor. I base my game off of wing players. I watch a lot of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George game film.”

Unsurprisingly for an American basketball player his idol growing up was one of the biggest stars in the game, “My sporting hero as a kid was, and still is Kobe Bryant. I grew up watching every single Laker game on TV. His mentality is like no other, and the way he played the game just made me fall in love with it even more. His confidence is what really stood out to me. Even the games when he would shoot 7-27 from the field he would always shoot the next shot like he knew it was going in.”

He also mentions his brother when talking about who influenced him growing up, “My brother had the biggest influence on my career. He was like my second father growing up because he is 9 years older. I watched his career unfold as he played professionally in South America and Asia and I always have planned my life on the stages he went through. I just always wanted to be just like him, from the tattoos to the cars he has.”

It was surprising to learn that a former Killester player was influential in Williams coming to play basketball in Ireland, “I met Alex Troy at Weber State. She was in the physical therapy program so she was at our practices and we just became great friends. Her dad Kelvin is a legend here and she told me there was an opportunity here so I took it and Killester is where I landed.”

Kelvin lived in Ireland for over 20 years, his kids grew up here. He once said, “The one thing I’m grateful for is that my kids are Irish because everyone loves the Irish,” Troy said. “It’s the one place I feel blessed.”

On being compared to Jermaine Turner Williams said, “I never got a chance to meet Jermaine but I heard about his accomplished career and those are huge shoes to fill, I don't mind the comparisons at all. I'm not trying to be like him I can only be me, I've always been confident in my game and I just want to help this organization win games first and foremost.”

He says he’s settled here in Ireland now, but it was difficult at first, “At first I was kind of homesick because Ireland is so different from where I am from but I have gotten used to my team-mates and the coaching staff now. The Grennell's especially Mark and Jonny have gone above and beyond to make me comfortable here.”

What will he bring to Killester? “I hope to bring a different look to Killester. More versatility. Jermaine was a absolute beast in the half court game, but we have a team this year that can get up and down and really shoot so we want to do that as much as possible. My team-mates give me slack all the time because the amount of shots I take but I'm always looking for them and they know I trust them to knock them down.”

Killester began the season with defeat to Griffith College Swords Thunder before beating last season’s champions Black Amber Templeogue and Williams got a taste of the standard of basketball in those two games, “The first two games were big for us. I was kind of caught off guard by how good of a team Swords Thunder were because pre-season we didn't play against teams in our division. But both teams are talented and run their offensive sets well, I see why they are top dogs in the league.”

“I am very confident and ambitious about this season. We got on the right track against Templelogue so we just want to keep building on that. As a club I want us to be in the conversation for top team in the country, and personally I just want to go out every game and do what I need to for us to win games.”

Since returning from injury Williams has top-scored in wins over Maree and UCC Demons, as Pyrobel Killester moves into fourth place in the Super League standings. 

Photo Credit: Eagle Eye Pictures