Jeremy Williams celebrates two wins (2.21.10)

JEREMY WILLIAMS

Sports stories don't stay with us long. There is always another game to write about. But stories like the ones I wrote about Jeremy Williams last November don't fade or dim as we found out Sunday when the Columbus native was surprised by the crew from ABC-TV's "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" — one day after the high school football coach received another surprise.

His is a story of love and family. There is his wife, his bubbly daughter and a little boy confined to a wheel chair. There is a town with troubles of its own that embraced the Williams family and a school that adopted them all. There is a football team at an obscure high school that discovered they could win games while caring for each other and their coach.

Jeremy Williams suffers with Lou Gehrig's Disease. Know the disease and know his prognosis. But also know that the head football coach at Greenville High School, a short drive up U.S. Highway 27, has not let this fatal disease dampen his spirits or take away his smile.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first told the story of this coach and his team during its run toward the high school playoffs. I wrote about his career at Kendrick High School and about his team's 11-1 season on Thanksgiving Day in the Ledger-Enquirer.

His story touched many. Readers voted it the AJC's Sports Story of the Year for 2009. On Sunday morning people from the TV show surprised the Williams family at their home in Pine Mountain Valley. The family is headed for a vacation while volunteers make their house better equipped for their needs.

The night before Williams was deservedly honored as Georgia High School Coach of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club.

These are two more victories for a courageous coach.