Opp senior Devontae Williams has been named a regional finalist for the 2016 Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete award.

The Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program was created in 1986 by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Alabama High School Athletic Association. The objective of the program is to recognize and honor Alabama students who have by ability and effort achieved a level of excellence in the areas of academics and athletics that is commensurate with their potential.

“It’s a blessing,” Williams said. “Any time I get an opportunity like this, it’s a blessing because I know I wouldn’t be in this situation without God, my family, my friends, my teachers and my coaches. I think it really shows that if put in the hard work that things will pan out for you.”

Williams’s success hasn’t just been on the football field or on the basketball court, but also in the classroom where he is currently in top five of his senior class.

As a student-athlete, Williams said he understands the importance of being a student first.

“One of the hardest parts of transitioning from middle school to high school was learning how to manage your time between school and sports,” Williams said. “I try to come in the library during the day and get as much of my work done as possible. With sports, I keep a busy schedule and it was very important to learn time management.”

Williams said he learned time management through of mixture of things.

“My teachers and coaches showed me guidance, but ultimately it’s something you have to do for yourself,” Williams said. “If you want success bad enough you can do it, and that is just how I was raised.”

As for college, Williams said he is still weighing his options, but his hopes are to play a sport somewhere.

“I want to go play sport at a university, maybe Alabama or Auburn,” Williams said. “Not sure if it will be for football or basketball, but I know that I want to play somewhere. Wherever I go, I want to major in Nutrition and Dietetics. I love learning about the body and it’s also away that I can stay around sports, and help people out with things that I’ve gone through myself.”

As for the recognition that comes with the award, Williams said that isn’t something is concerned with.

“Recognition isn’t a big thing to me,” Williams said. “I just like to fly under the radar.”

The next round of the awards will named on Jan. 27, and those winners will head to Birmingham where a selection committee will determine the winner of each class. (1A-7A).

Ninety-six scholarships are awarded annually to deserving high school seniors from the schools that are members of the AHSAA. The program has grown from an $8,000 award program to the present over $800,000.