Philadelphia Native Who Went Hungry as a Teen Chases Pro Football Dream in Toronto, With His Mother Cheering Him On

Casey Williams once drank water to feel full, or exercised until he was too tired to notice the hunger pangs that kept him awake at night. Now the Philadelphia native is heading to Canada to pursue a professional football career with the Toronto Argonauts, the Canadian Football League club that holds a league-record 18 championships.

Williams, a 2016 graduate of South Philadelphia High School, and his mother, Zina, were featured in The Inquirer's 2019 special report on food insecurity among high school athletes. He left for Canada on Tuesday, days after a going-away party in North Philadelphia.

Looking back, Williams described a childhood of instability. "We got evicted a bunch of times, were homeless a bunch of times, and stayed in a couple shelters through high school," he said at the party. He said his mother kept working hard to put food on the table throughout, and that he is now working hard to repay her.

Williams once estimated that he moved six to eight times between junior high and high school, not counting short stays with friends or relatives when domestic violence broke out at home. When food ran short, he filled up on water, and if that failed he did push-ups until he fell asleep. He also faced the shame of relying on free and reduced-price school meals. Over time, though, the hunger became fuel. He said he wanted to be able to walk into a store and buy what he wanted through hard work.

That drive led to a scholarship at Temple. He later transferred to Stony Brook, where he became a standout defensive lineman and graduated in 2021. Last year he signed with the BC Lions of the CFL and spent three months on the practice squad before being released. The Argonauts signed him on Nov. 19, 2022. Williams, who is also a certified strength coach and personal trainer, said his passion and work ethic made an impression and gave him confidence another team would give him a chance.

His mother, who is 50, has made changes of her own. Zina Williams says she has long struggled with her weight, which led to health problems. Her mother, who she says was also heavy, died of a heart attack at 47. While in college, Casey passed along health tips from his classes, and Zina has since lost more than 100 pounds.

She now has goals of her own. Zina got her learner's permit last month, more than 30 years after she last drove, with the aim of delivering meals to older people. She is back in school, volunteers with the Red Cross, and hopes to launch a nonprofit that helps Philadelphia youth. "That's my motivation," she said of her son. "I'm growing right along with him."

Zina is also known for her cowbell, which she rings at her son's games even when stadiums have tried to prohibit it. Casey said she snuck it into a Stony Brook game after being told she couldn't bring it, and that hearing it from the field motivates him. She plans to attend as many Toronto games as possible. Though she already misses him, she said the departure is bittersweet because he is chasing his dream.

Casey also credits Focused Athletics, a nonprofit offering athletic, academic and professional support to the city's high school athletes, for helping him growing up. He returned to mentor young athletes while in college and says he hopes to come back and invest in Philadelphia. He still hopes to reach the NFL, and Zina is confident he will. "We were forced to grow," Casey said, adding that the two "decided to grow together."