Jemal Williams (Courtesy of Jemal Williams)

He is a senior decathlete for USC’s Men’s Track and Field Team and is currently preparing for his final season at USC.

Currently, he trains for the 400m hurdles, however he has been exposed to many events, whether it be on the track or the field. “I have experimented with all events,” he says. He also noted that being versatile as an athlete has helped contribute to his overall growth and success as athlete.

Last season, he placed seventh at the Trojan Invitational in the pole vault and the 110-meter hurdles. Additionally, he finished 10th in the men’s decathlon at the Pac-12 Championship and had a personal record in the high jump, shot put, 400m dash, 100m dash and pole vault, collectively.

Williams transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College in 2012 to compete as a decathlete. He is the first Trojan male athlete to compete in the conference decathlon championship since 2003, and has competed in track and field since the seventh grade.

Williams explains, “I mainly played basketball as a kid and decided to try track in middle school.” He hasn’t stopped competing since. 

Understanding that he is in the final stretch of his athletic career at USC, he is looking forward to the hard work and conditioning, in spite of past flaws or setbacks. 

“The new coaching staff has changed my entire outlook, and their support has helped me grow into a better athlete,” he said. The team’s support and energy were major keys in which has helped his team compete as a cohesive unit. 

Obviously, his goal is to finish with a personal record in all of his events, but he’d like to have the mental and physical focus in motion, as this year determines if he can train for the Olympics. He notes that he has developed as an overall person, by being a USC athlete.

“I don’t fit the stereotype of the athlete,” Williams said. "I was raised in the East Bay and was the only black kid in school." While he prides himself on being open and grounded, he attributes a lot of his qualities to his parents, who’ve helped raise him to accept his difference. In addition to this, he helped alter the preconceptions of his white counterparts. He was heavily involved in spoken word and managed to draw his peers closer to understanding his world; and he is fluent in Spanish.

He is of mixed heritage; his mother is Spanish and Portuguese, while his father is African American. Although his parents are proud of his accomplishments, they mainly wanted him to focus on school.

Williams is majoring in International Relations and has educational plans to possibly pursue the Peace Corps after graduation. But at this stage in his life, he finds beauty in the unknowing. “I have no idea on the possibilities of tomorrow, but I’m excited for the day-to-day. For now, I’m focused on school, track and work,” he said.

Off the track, Williams works as a Campus Cruiser and can recall many memorable nights. “I am a people’s person, so it makes my job a lot easier,” he says. He often finds himself meeting new people wherever he goes and looks forward to each day.

For Jemal, he believes that the sky is the limit.

Reach Staff Reporter Isaac Moody here, or follow him on Twitter.