NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A former NFL player now wears a different uniform — one that includes an NYPD shield.
Dominique Williams has become one of the 561 NYPD recruits who graduated as an officer last Friday.
"It's a lot of structure, and I've been doing that structure and discipline thing my whole life playing sports, so it's a lot of class and learning," Williams said in an NYPD Recruitment Instagram Live. "You have the gym and you have a whole bunch of instructors just to help and guide you to understand how to be a police officer."
But for the 29-year-old, who always wanted to be a member of one of the world's most famous police departments, joining the force came a little later than he expected, the Daily News reports.
Williams studied criminal justice and played for Washington State University's football team.
He was then signed by the San Diego Chargers in 2016 but didn't make the team's 53-man roster, according to the report. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver instead spent the first year playing on the practice squad.
A year later, Williams was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, but suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon that kept him on the sidelines.
He was signed by the Detroit Lions after the Eagles released him in 2018, but he reportedly didn't make the team's final roster.
Williams always had a "Plan B," inspired by the officers who guided him after his oldest brother was murdered in front of his family's Pomona, Calif. home.
"I’ve seen the way police came in and basically took me under their wing and made sure I was OK," Williams said in the video. "At the time I was playing sports so they went to multiple of my games."
He added that he "felt that support and love."
"I realized the first thing kids interact with are police officers and ever since then I was destined to become a police officer," he continued.
Williams said while it is "OK" for recruits to feel overwhelmed by the academy, it's important to "believe in yourself."
"You can do this," he added.