It was a silly off-the-football-field incident — regrettable, forgettable — that came with two-fold consequences.
University of Hawaii linebacker Russell Williams Jr. was required to run extra sprints. Then, he had to forfeit jersey No. 7.
He was assigned No. 67 until further notice. By the time he completed his punishment, No. 7 already had been awarded to another player. Williams accepted No. 34, then was switched to No. 44.
"I’m liking the idea of 44," he insisted. "It’s a new nickname for myself — ’44 Magnum.’ I have to live up to that number."
But then Williams, in a hushed tone, admitted: "No. 7 is important. It goes way back. It’s family."
Williams was one of seven children when he went into guardianship. He was 10 years old.
Two of the kids joined Williams in Greg and Lydia LeCount’s foster family in Elk Grove, Calif.
"Everyone else was either in jail or just split up," Williams conceded.
"Seven," Williams added. "There were seven of us in our household. That’s my number in my heart."
Williams said he is grateful to the LeCounts. They encouraged him to maintain a relationship with his mother in Northern California.
They also paid for Williams to travel to New Orleans to see his father. Williams was 4 when his father left town.
"He came back when I was 12," Williams said. "He’s been in the Bay Area. I’ve seen him a couple times. … It is what it is. If he’s there, he’s there."
The LeCounts, who run a non-profit recreation program for youths, helped Williams pursue his dream.
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When he was 8, Williams played street football with the neighborhood kids in San Jose, Calif. He was a receiver, with quick feet, sure hands and a knack for finding the area that served as the end zone. Those games were on the clock.
"My friends would have to leave the street game and go to (youth football) practice," Williams recalled. "I would have to go home. I felt, ‘That’s not fair.’ I wanted to play football, but my mom wasn’t able to pay for it."
A few years later, Williams said of the LeCounts, "I was able to play football because they were able to pay for it."
Greg LeCount, a former Hawaii resident who coached at Radford High and Maryknoll School, had hoped Williams would join the Rainbow Warriors. As a Sacramento City College sophomore, Williams was named to a junior college All-America first team.
"They did a lot for me," Williams said of the LeCounts.
Williams is expected to have an extended role in Saturday’s game against San Diego State. Williams can play both inside-linebacker positions.
"I like his athletic ability, and I like his potential," defensive coordinator Tom Mason said. "But potential means he hasn’t done it yet to a degree, I think, he’s capable of. … I think there’s a lot more there. There’s a lot of upside there."
This summer, Williams spent Fridays with UH teammates at the Boys and Girls Club of Honolulu.
"They said there was dodge ball, and I love playing dodge ball," said Williams, who also enjoyed working with "kids I used to be like."
His advice? "Go with the flow," Williams said. "Work a little harder, and everything will work out in the end."
