Smith following in grandfather’s footsteps
Ed Williamson has grandson Bryce Smith following in his footsteps.
The old axiom that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is one that you’ve probably heard a million times before.
It’s still the best way to describe the relationship between lifelong Philadelphia resident Ed Williamson and his grandson Bryce Smith.
The two might not live down the street from each other like Bryce does from his fraternal grandfather, Hamp Smith, but there’s a bond that’s been created by a love of athletic competition and those who knew Ed when he was a teenager can look at Bryce and see a physical resemblance between two kindred spirits.
A sophomore at Brookhaven High, the 2021-2022 school year has been a busy one for Smith. He was named to the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) All-State team along with the Region 3-5A team and The Daily Leader All-Area team following the 2021 football season for BHS.
His prowess as a punter helped BHS finish 7-5 overall as the Panthers lost in the second round to eventual 5A runners-up Picayune on the road. Smith averaged 36-yards per punt and had a season long go for 57-yards along with having 10 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
Like his grandfather Ed, Smith also plays tight end. He also is the placekicker for BHS as his season long field goal went for 40-yards.
When football season was over, Smith jumped right into soccer as he’s been starting varsity goalkeeper for BHS on the pitch since his seventh-grade season. His save percentage this season was 82.1 percent which earned him an invitation to compete in the Central Mississippi Soccer All-Star game hosted by East Central CC.
Playing on the campus of one of his grandfather’s alma maters, Smith earned Goalkeeper of the Game for his team in the all-star match.
Ed Williamson has given and carried many nicknames in his life. From Judge to Biggie and Crazy Horse and Eddie Joe — Ed’s wife Gloria says he will answer to just about anything. To his 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren he’s always been Big Ed.
Big Ed Williamson played football first at Philadelphia High as did his brothers Tom and Stan. The Williamson brothers then matriculated to East Central in Decatur where Ed played football and baseball from 1964-1966.
Williamson graduated from the University of Southern Miss and then staked his career in the law field by earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis.
A love of sports, competition and team was passed on to his three daughters Dawn, Kelli and Erin. Dawn tragically passed away on June 7, 1986 in an automobile accident.
Both Kelli and Erin participated in collegiate athletics, Kelli on the track and field team at Southern Miss and Erin as a basketball player at Copiah-Lincoln CC in Wesson.
Kelli’s daughter Karley followed in the family footsteps by playing softball at Southern Miss before graduating in 2021.
Bryce Smith hopes to be next in line when it comes to the family’s heritage of athletic success.
BHS coach Aaron Ayers says Smith has been a player that he knew he could count on, even when he was in junior high.
“It’s nice knowing that over the last four years I’ve had a guy in the back who can compensate when we make mistakes or lose the ball in a bad situation,” said Ayers. “He has great vision of the field and over the past four years has really stepped up and taken a leadership role in helping direct the team from the defensive perspective.”
That’s a similar tune when former East Central football coach Dan Chatwood sings the praises of Williamson in football games that were played nearly sixty years ago.
Chatwood recalls a time when EC needed a win via a two-point conversion play and he instructed quarterback Ed Amis to get the ball to Williamson on the try.
The play was successful as Williamson boasted a set of sure hands. His high school and junior college teammate Harry McLemore now still remember Williamson putting in the extra work to improve at his craft.
“I don’t think Ed Williamson ever dropped a pass in high school or junior college,” said McLemore. He loved to stay after football practice to catch passes. He was determined and also pretty confident of himself.”
Determination and confidence are two traits that any of us would hope to find within ourselves. Those are just two attributes that Smith hopes to continue to mimic as he follows in his grandfather’s footstep today on the fields of play and one day in the field of law, his intended major in college.