Everton Williams, Board Member, Jake’s House
A former professional athlete and a long-time Jake’s House advocate, Everton Williams’ physical strength is only exceeded by the strength of his character. He is as loyal and humble as he is determined and intense. After applying great discipline, Everton was recruited to play both football and basketball on scholarship at the University of Toronto, while studying art history and architecture—and the rest is history.
During four football seasons at U of T, Everton played 27 games with the Varsity Blues, registered 64.5 defensive tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 8.5 quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick. From there, he joined the CFL, playing on the offensive line from 2015-2019 for the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
Also in 2015, Everton began volunteering at Jake’s House, when the charity was still very grassroots. He helped at every holiday party—and continues to each year, rallying and coordinating support of other athletes and CFL players; greeting and posing for photos with guests; handing out gifts to the children; and more.
In 2018, after years of devoted service, Everton’s role with Jake’s House became formalized, as he earned the official title of National Ambassador. In this position, Everton does presentations at schools and various community events; he builds relationships with corporate partners and key stakeholders; he spreads the charity’s message and raises awareness in video and social media campaigns; and, in his charismatic and compelling way, he encourages peers to get involved. Committed to contributing to his community and helping those around him, Everton leads by example, and inspires others to be more understanding, to offer more support and to take more action.
