As we continue our lawn care safety series, the ever-popular riding lawnmowers must be included. Last week we reviewed overall lawnmower safety and in addition we focused on safety tips for walk-behind rotary mowers.
From 2008 to 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimate that 35,000 consumers injuries related to riding mower incidents were treated annually in hospital emergency rooms (CPSC,2012). Most fatalities involved a machine rolling over or running over someone or a person being thrown from or falling off the mower.
Therefore, one of the first safety rules is do not leave the keys in your mower. It seems obvious, but leaving the keys in your lawnmower, if it has a key start, is asking for trouble. It is like a personal invitation for a child because what child does not love to sit on a mower and pretend, they are driving it. By leaving the key in it, you are inviting them too actually do just that.
One of the first safety rules is do not leave the keys in your mower. (Adobe Stock)
Another safety rule is to remove the spark plug before working on the blade. It too may sound a little obvious, but always remove the lawnmower spark plug when working on the blade. If the piston happens to be at the top of the compression stroke, a little bump might force the piston over the “hump” and into the power stroke. This could potentially cause the blade to lurch forward, possible whacking your hand in the process.
Know which way to mow when you are mowing on an incline is another important safety rule. If you are mowing with a riding lawnmower, mow up and down the slope to reduce the risk of a rollover incident. A rollover incident refers to the type of occurrence that happens when the operator does not look behind the mower when backing up on a riding lawnmower and accidentally runs over a child or a pet.
Other safety rules for riding lawnmowers are:
Do not allow extra riders on a mower (even if you are not mowing).
Never leave a running mower unattended.
Start the mower outside or in a well-ventilated garage area to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide gas buildup.
Always allow the mower to cool before refueling it to reduce the risk of a flash fire. Most mowers are fueled by gasoline, which is highly explosive and flammable. If you accidentally spill gasoline when refueling, quickly and carefully wipe up the fuel. Burns may occur if one carelessly refuels when an engine is hot.
Beautiful lawns enhance any home or building, but achieving this beautiful lawn does have some safety risks so Keeping an Eye on Safety is always crucial.
BIRMINGHAM MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN ON HOUSE BILL445 THAT GIVES THE ALABAMA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) BOARD AUTHORITY OVER CONSUMABLE HEMP PRODUCTS; WBRC, MAY 10.
Sheila Tyson, Jefferson County Commissioner and Jarvis Patton, aide to former Birmingham Mayor William Bell, were named to Birmingham Water Works Board on Tuesday as the utility enters a future that could be determined in a courtroom.
Jefferson County Commissioner Shelia Tyson (File)
The City of Birmingham is still legally challenging a state law that took effect May 7 that regionalizes the BWWB, but that has not stopped new members from being named by various appointing authorities.
The City Council named Tyson as its representative to the board while Mayor Randall Woodfin named Patton, a former aide to previous Birmingham Mayor William Bell, as his pick.
Tyson said in a statement late Tuesday that, “I have always fought for the citizens and this time will be no different. With this appointment, ratepayers can rest assured, I will be your voice and make decisions with you in mind. Just as I have in the past.”
Jarvis Patton
Meanwhile Patton told AL.com that it would be “an honor” to serve on the board.
“To me it is both and honor and privilege to be asked to serve, and that the system has enabled me to turn to the political arena when I can be of benefit to the citizens of Birmingham,” said Patton, who worked for former Birmingham Mayor William Bell.
The new law regionalizes the BWWB and would give more power to suburban areas, creating a seven-member authority dominated by appointees from outside the city of Birmingham and reducing the city’s seats to two.
Birmingham had controlled six of the nine seats on the former board.
The city filed a lawsuit against Ivey on May 6 asking her not to sign the bill into law. She did anyway, but City Council President Darrell O’Quinn said he still expects a hearing in federal court on Thursday.
Chief U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks set a hearing for May 15 on the request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
With appointing authorities naming their representatives the new regional BWWB is now fully assembled a day before its first planned meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
In addition to Tyson and Patton, the seven-member board will include:
Jeffery Brumlow, an attorney and former county commissioner, appointed by The Shelby County Commission
Thomas C. Hudson Jr. of Mountain Brook, appointed by Ivey
Bill Morris, general manager of Leeds Water Works, appointed by Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth
State Rep. David Standridge, a retired police captain, appointed by Blount County
Phillip R. Wiedmeyer, a retired Alabama Power engineer, appointed by Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens
Realtor Justin Williams, co-team leader at Keller Williams Vestavia, speaks during a panel discussion. (Keisa Sharpe, For The Birmingham Times)
By Keisa Sharpe | For The Birmingham Times
It’s not only a slogan, it’s a movement.
The Black Men Buy Houses tour came to Birmingham Saturday, May 10, hosted at Innovation Depot and their goal is simple — help Black men purchase homes.
Kevan Shelton, Black Men Buy Houses. (Keisa Sharpe, For The Birmingham Times)
Kevan and Ayesha Shelton launched Black Men Buy Houses to help lessen the gap between women and men in Black home ownership.
“Black men often face challenges when purchasing homes, stemming from limited information about the process and financial resources, which can hinder their ability to secure funds for down payments, credit, and closing costs. Our initiative’s objective is to break down these barriers, enabling more Black men to achieve the dream of home ownership,” the Sheltons have said.
As part of Birmingham Small Business Week on Saturday, Kevan shared a personal experience in real estate fueled his desire to help other men. At age19, he had the chance to buy a home at an affordable price, he said.
“In the neighborhood that I grew up in in Houston, I had the opportunity to buy a house (a fixer-upper) for $9,000, and, even with that opportunity I couldn’t figure it out (how to purchase the home),” he recalled.
And because he “couldn’t figure it out” (Shelton said he didn’t know where he’d get the money nor did he understand how to fix up the home) and he “didn’t know what to ask” he lost out on that investment.
“My aunt told me that my uncle was willing to loan me the $1,000 down payment and he was just waiting for me to ask, but I never did,” said Shelton.
It’s a memory that haunts him to this day, he said, especially since that $9,000 house has increased significantly in value. “The dirt alone is now worth $2,000,” he said.
It’s an opportunity he’d gladly take advantage of if he ever sees it again, he said.
Realtor Justin Williams, co-team leader at Keller Williams Vestavia, who served as a guest for one of the panel discussions, said buying a home can be part of anyone’s wealth-building puzzle and the necessity of real estate makes it an easy asset to add to anyone’s portfolio.
“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t need a place to lay their head, so (owning) real estate gives us something that we need on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Darrell Forte, 26, a Birmingham resident, who was a guest at the workshop, grew up on the West side of Birmingham, and said he hopes to make a major investment in buying his first home soon.
“It’s a unique opportunity for Black men to look at purchasing homes,” he said. “Statistically Black men are not always at the top of the list for buying homes. Attending this workshop was an opportunity to gain some knowledge and take my first step toward buying a home.”
The Black Men Buy Houses tour — with a goal of helping more Black men own homes — has also included stops in Atlanta and Houston, which is where the tour originated and where the Sheltons reside.
BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
ANITA AND FLOYD PATTON
Live: Trussville
Married: Aug. 6, 1988
Met: Summer 1983, at Floyd’s grandmother’s home in Norwood. Their church was holding a tent meeting outside the apartment building, which is where Anita’s sister lived. Anita was also best friends with Floyd’s aunt, Susan.
“I was young. I might’ve been about 16, and my parents were very strict so I couldn’t have boyfriends, but I called myself sneaking and dating Floyd,” Anita said. “And my sister lived in the same apartments as Floyd’s grandmother and aunt, so I would ask to spend the night over there so I could see him because we called ourselves going together.” Despite Anita’s efforts to see Floyd they were too few and far in between for him.
“He broke up with me because I could never see him…,” recalled Anita. “I was raised Apostolic Pentecostal, and my daddy did not play. Anytime we would be on the phone my daddy would unplug it,” she said, “so, he broke up with me and that broke my heart, but my sister said, ‘if you love something, set it free and if it comes back it’s yours, and it it doesn’t it never was.’”
A few years passed but Anita, who was now allowed to date, had a grudge against Floyd for breaking her heart. Around the same time, his family survived a house fire, and Susan, Floyd’s aunt and her best friend, encouraged Anita to offer support. “I didn’t, I was still mad, and a few weeks later I saw him broken down on the side of the highway [and didn’t stop to help]. I slowed down enough to make sure he saw me, but I passed him right on by,” she said.
“I used to buy or pick up busted cars and flip them and sell them, and I was test driving a car I was working on and it broke down, so when I saw her pass me by, I wasn’t thinking about it, I was trying to get that car off the highway,” Floyd said.
After that, Floyd started calling Anita’s house hoping to reconcile. “I was ignoring his calls, but afterwhile, my mom said I need to call him back and see what he was talking about. I did, and I told him if he really wanted to see me, he had to come to church,” said Anita.
“When she said I had to come to church [at Greater Emmanuel Temple Holiness Church], it wasn’t a problem; I told her I would come and I did,” said Floyd.
First date: At Anita’s parents’ home in Bush Hills Ensley. Although Anita was 18, her parents were still strict.
“Her mama had left and went to a missionary meeting at the church, and when she came in the house and saw my arm around Anita’s shoulders, she snatched my arm down so hard she [nearly] broke it; I should have called the police right then,” Floyd said. “I went through a lot to date Anita.”
Before her mother came home, Anita said the night was going well. “We sat there and looked at movies, and I had three brothers under me and they weren’t used to me having company so they kept on [patrolling] but I didn’t pay them any mind, I was just happy Floyd was there,” Anita said.
The turn: In 1986 after Floyd got baptized at Anita’s home church, Greater Emmanuel Temple Holiness Church in Birmingham. That step made her parents more comfortable with them dating. “My daddy asked him what his intentions were, and he told him that he knew he was going to marry me. And that’s when I started taking him more seriously too,” Anita said.
For Floyd, it was once he joined the church. “She started inviting me over to their house to eat dinner, and she fixed me a plate, and her daddy came home and asked me if I bought any groceries,” said Floyd. “But I’ve always been the type of person to go after what I want. I had my mind set on it and I was going to marry her no matter what.”
The proposal: Christmas 1986, at Anita’s parents’ home in Bush Hills, Ensley. Anita recalls her gifts from him: “He bought me a flat screen TV, and I thought that was it, but I should have known something because my daddy was standing around watching. And then, Floyd got on one knee and pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him, and before I could say ‘yes,’ my brothers came in the room hollering ‘yes’, because they were ready for me to go,” Anita laughed.
“It [the proposal] went pretty smoothly, but I kind of felt a little funny because [my brothers] were peeping around the corner and everybody was jumping up and down excited because she was [going to be] leaving the house and that made me wonder what I had gotten myself into,” Floyd said. “But I couldn’t back out, I gave her the ring, but I didn’t know what to think. And when we went out to eat to celebrate, her mama said, ‘you don’t know what you got yourself into, are you sure?’ and that’s the one time I think I lied because I said ‘yes’ … But, I was ready to get out the streets and raise a family.”
Anita and Floyd Patton met in 1983 at Floyd’s grandmother’s home. The couple married in 1988. (Provided Photos)
The wedding: At Greater Emmanuel, officiated by its pastor, Bishop Jose Perry. Their colors were fuchsia and white.
Most memorable for the bride was, “the amount of people that were there, it was almost standing room only … at the time, I was working for UAB and I had invited a lot of people but you never really know if they’re going to show, and we ended up having a nice big crowd.”
Most memorable for the groom was cutting the cake at the reception. “…that was the best part, and it was also a nice picture,” he said.
For the honeymoon, they spent a few nights at a hotel on U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills. “It was an amazing consummation, that night was everything that I dreamed it would be,” Anita said.
Words of wisdom: “Take pictures, travel, and do things together, it helps keep the marriage strong. And when you can look back at the pictures and relive those memories it’s a wonderful thing,” said Floyd.
“Stay in the fight. We’re in a society now where people don’t want to fight for marriages anymore. Even if you gotta go to another room, don’t leave your home. My parents told me and all my siblings when we got married. ‘We have an open door, but not a revolving door. Don’t come running back here every time you get mad, you stay home and you talk and work it out.’,” Anita said. “So, stay in the fight and communicate, your spouse can’t read your mind and you can’t read theirs. Be each other’s best friend and confidant and be there to protect each other.”
Happily ever after: The Pattons have three adult daughters, Jameria, Jamecia, and Jamiyah Patton ages 32-23, and three grandchildren: Journee, K’ior, and Kenzo.
Anita, 57, is a Bush Hills [Ensley] native, and Ensley Magnet High School grad. She attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB] where she earned a certification in Data Entry Clerical. Anita works for the Birmingham Police Department as a latent fingerprint examiner.
Floyd, 60, is a Norwood native, a Phillips High School grad, and retired after 27 years from Birmingham Water Works in 2019 as a utility truck driver.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
The City of Birmingham has released the draft Central Alabama Climate Action Plan (CACAP), marking Alabama’s first regional plan focused on reducing climate pollution. (City of Birmingham)
birminghamal.gov
The City of Birmingham is inviting residents and community members from across central Alabama to make their voices heard in addressing climate and environmental challenges affecting our region.
Spanning Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker counties, this initiative aims to identify priorities for mitigating the impacts of climate change and guiding local governments in their efforts to reduce pollution and enhance resilience.
The first of several community engagement meetings will take place today, May 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Homewood Public Library, located at 1721 Oxmoor Road.
“With floods, droughts, extreme heat, tornadoes, and wildfires, the Central Alabama region is witnessing the undeniable impacts of climate change,” said Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, the city’s Chief Resilience and Sustainability Officer. “These changes directly affect our quality of life, economic prosperity, and public health. Recognizing the urgency of action, we are committed to preparing for and responding to these evolving conditions to safeguard our communities for generations to come.”
The city’s Central Alabama Climate Action Plan team is spearheading the development of a comprehensive Plan to address both current and future climate challenges. This Plan serves as a strategic roadmap with the goal of achieving significant greenhouse gas reductions by 2050. Our vision is to ensure the region continues to thrive as a vibrant and sustainable area for all.
Community engagement is at the heart of this initiative. To ensure that the voices of Central Alabama residents are heard and integrated, the public is invited to participate in upcoming Community Engagement Meetings this May. These meetings are a vital opportunity for community members to contribute to the Climate Action Plan, share their thoughts, and help shape the future of our region.
The team is also conducting a survey to gather community feedback. The survey serves as a critical opportunity for residents across Central Alabama to share their perspectives on the strategies and actions needed to combat climate change. To show appreciation for participation, those who complete the survey will have the chance to enter their email address for a $50 gift card drawing.
Join in this critical effort to combat climate change and build a legacy of sustainability for ourselves and future generations. For additional details about the Plan, meeting information, and the survey, please visit the Central Alabama Climate Action Plan website at https://centralalabamaclimate.com/.
NBA Hall of Famer and “Inside The NBA” television personality Shaquille O’Neal showed love to Alabama State University through a wardrobe choice and an announcement of his future plans on the May 8 broadcast of the show.
According to Sports Illustrated, in addition to wearing the bold black and gold of Alabama State University and flashing a “Que Dawg” salute, O’Neal hinted that he would leave the studio in two years after he becomes a college professor after concluding his studies at Alabama State University.
Shaq shows some love to Alabama State University. (Shaq, X)
After Ernie Johnson asked O’Neal why he was wearing the ASU gear, he replied, “From now (on) I would like to be addressed as Professor O’Neal, because when I graduate in two years, I will leave you and become a college professor on mentorship and business administration. I love you.”
O’Neal recently opened up about his connection to HBCUs more broadly during an episode of his podcast, “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” after an HBCU student asked him what he does to support HBCUs.
“I always supported. It was an HBCU that helped me graduate from LSU. A lot of people don’t know the story, but I had to transfer to Southern for summer school. So it, I mean, I’ve always been a big supporter,” O’Neal said.
He continued, “Going there, the flavor, the feeling—like, sometimes I sit and I say, ‘Man, I wish I would’ve went to an HBCU. Because I went to the HBCU tournament when it was in Atlanta a couple weeks ago. And the DJs, the culture, the band, the cheerleaders—it’s just fun. And I’m a really big supporter of HBCUs.”
O’Neal’s son, Shaqir, has been intentional about playing at HBCUs, first enrolling at Texas Southern University out of high school in 2021, intending to “change the narrative” regarding the basketball programs at HBCUs.
Shaqir would later transfer to Florida A&M University for the 2024-2025 basketball season, where he recorded his first double-double as a collegiate athlete. Shaqir recently transferred to Sacramento State, where he will join a basketball program that employs former Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby as its head coach and his father as its general manager.
According to The Athletic, O’Neal’s position is on a voluntary, unpaid basis, and he follows other NBA luminaries like Stephen Curry and Trae Young into the position, albeit the latter pair have a more personal connection to their positions, Davidson and the University of Oklahoma are the alma maters of Curry and Young, respectively.
The Bibby/O’Neal era is already paying dividends. Just one day after O’Neal was officially announced as the general manager, the program signed former four-star prospect Mikey Williams. Despite Williams’ troubled past, which included nine felony gun charges stemming from a 2023 shooting near his home in San Diego, he is still a big splash for the university.
As O’Neal said in a statement to The Athletic, he sees his job as preparing young men to face life more than he sees it as raising championship banners and trophies. “This is about more than banners and trophies, but preparing these student-athletes for life on and off the court,” O’Neal said.
The construction of the Coca-Cola Amphitheater in Birmingham is nearing completion ahead of the June 22, 2025 opening. (Tamika Moore, AL.com)
By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Edward Eaton can’t wait to welcome his new neighbor “with open arms,” he said.
Eaton, vice-president of the Druid Hills Neighborhood Association along with residents, got their first look at the $46 million Coca-Cola Amphitheater, which is nearing completion and opens next month not far from where they live.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” said Eaton, who got a walk-through last Thursday. “[Developers] seem to have a real good plan. So far, so good.”
The amphitheater, in the Druid Hills community, will have a capacity of 9,380 for its festivals, concerts and community events and is slated to have its first show June 22.
The project is a joint effort between the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), the city of Birmingham, Jefferson County and Live Nation.
Eaton said he is pleased with how project organizers worked with residents. There was concern about how parking would impact streets and personal yards as well as the noise and acoustics when the concerts begin, he said.
The construction of the Coca-Cola Amphitheater is nearing completion. (Tamika Moore, AL.com)
“Anything we’re brought up they’ve addressed it so far,” he said. “Lighting, parking, we don’t want anybody blocking driveways — and getting sidewalks repaired. They seem to have a real good plan.”
Shuttles will run from the Uptown Entertainment District, so BJCC parking decks can be used for amphitheater parking. Two other parking decks near the amphitheater on the former Carraway campus could be ready next year.
On show days, one of the streets bordering the Coca Cola Amphitheater, 25th Street, will close to provide pedestrian safety at the main entrance. A free trolley service will run several blocks from popular hotels and restaurant destinations to the venue. The on-site parking plan is still being finalized, construction staff said.
The amphitheater, which is a short walk from Eaton’s Druid Hills neighborhood, is part of the Star Uptown redevelopment of the Carraway hospital site, which has been idle for 15 years.
The new entertainment venue has 31 planned shows for 2025, which could bring 220,000 visitors to the venue throughout the year, according to some estimates.
Jay Wilson, who oversees concerts for Live Nation in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, pointed out that the amphitheater is on the former campus of the demolished former Carraway Methodist Medical Center.
“It used to be the state’s No. 1 trauma center,” said Wilson. “Now it’s going to be the state’s No. 1 place to rock and roll.”
The Dave Matthews Band is scheduled to play on June 24, after a June 22 show by comedian Matt Rife.
The Coca-Cola Amphitheater will open June 22. (Tamika Moore, AL.com)
Staff, students and alumni of Arthur Harold Parker High School celebrated 125 years of history with alumni returning to the school last week to speak with students, scholarships, a sneaker ball; alumni picnic; and all-white gala. (Jordi Williams/Memory Bank Photography Studio)
The Birmingham Times
Nearly 1,000 staff, students and alumni of Arthur Harold Parker High School celebrated 125 years of history with alumni returning to the school last week to speak with students during a four-day affair that culminated with an all-white gala Saturday evening at the downtown Sheraton Hotel.
“It was an historic, momentous occasion,” said LaKeaton Pearson, Class of 2006, of the organizing committee.
Pearson said the committee planned for around 350 but estimated 750 alumni attended all of the events, some from as far as Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The festivities kicked off Thursday with “Giving Back” where various alumni returned to the school to speak with students about tradition and pride and their experiences at the school, he said.
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“[On Thursday] we had over 50 alumni come to speak to the various classes. [On Friday] we had our annual alumni day program where we presented $50,000 in scholarships to deserving seniors,” he said.
On Friday night the school held a sneaker ball; on Saturday the alumni picnic; Saturday evening an all-white gala and on Sunday morning a breakfast and worship service. There was also a Hall of Fame ceremony where five teachers were inducted, he said.
The celebration is every five years but hadn’t been held since 2015 because of COVID in 2020, he said.
Parker was founded in 1900 with just one teacher and 19 students. Named after the school’s first principal, it was the first school that Black students could attend in Birmingham. By 1946, the school was the largest high school for Black students in the world. During the Civil Rights Movement, the students played a pivotal role in the Children’s Crusade.
New York Jets linebacker Giovanni Williams speaks at a press conference during rookie minicamp on Saturday, May 10, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J.(Noah K. Murray, AP)
Brothers Quincy Williams and Quinnen Williams have been All-Pro selections for the New York Jets, and the NFL team is back at the Williams well.
Their younger brother, Giovanni Williams, is at the Jets’ rookie minicamp this weekend as a tryout player.
“I don’t know if there’s ever — and you guys can correct me if I’m wrong – had three brothers actually suit up for the same team in some capacity,” New York coach Aaron Glenn said on Saturday. “And I just think it’s outstanding that he has a Jet jersey on and both of his brothers are actually here with us. It’s a beautiful story. He’s working his butt off.”
Giovanni Williams said he got advice from his brothers before coming to minicamp.
“Quinnen told me, ‘Be yourself,’” Giovanni Williams said. “He said, ‘Whatever happens happens. God already got it for you.’ And then Quincy told me, because he knows the position we play – we play the same position – he told me, ‘Control your mind, control your body. Just have control over yourself and you can control the game.’”
All three brothers played at Wenonah High School.
Quinnen Williams was an All-American for Alabama in 2018, when he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best lineman, and joined the Jets as the third pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s been a Pro Bowl defensive tackle the past three seasons and was a first-team All-Pro pick in 2022.
Quincy Williams made himself into a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft at Murray State, where he played mostly safety. A linebacker in the NFL, he had two injury-affected seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before being traded to the Jets in 2021. Quincy Williams was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023.
Giovanni Williams weighed as much as 350 pounds in high school. “Trying to look like a linebacker,” Williams said he got his weight down to 185 before building back to his current 222 pounds.
Williams played at Texas A&M-Kingsville before spending the past two seasons at Miles College. He helped the Fairfield school win the SIAC championship in the 2024 season.
“I got Quincy’s speed, but I got Quinnen’s build,” Giovanni Williams said, “so it’s like I’m in the middle of both of them.”
Williams said his brothers have set the bar high, but that’s not the expectation that he is focused on.
“The expectation is to work,” Williams said, “so just work.”
Williams is among 12 players invited to New York’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Also attending is former Wetumpka High School standout Trey Jones III, a safety from Texas A&M.
To stay with the Jets past Sunday, a tryout player will need to impress the New York leadership enough to earn a contract.
“All I can do is just come out here and just do me and handle my business,” Williams said. “Put my best foot forward, and whatever happens happens.”
It’s a long-shot opportunity, but Williams said, “It would mean a lot to me (to stay with the team). Just to know I came to the minicamp and just did what I could. I was coachable. I had urgency. Just to be on the team with my brothers, it would feel good. It would be historical.”
