The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame family mourns the tragic loss of Wade Williams, part of the Hall of Fame staff as a student worker and intern from 2010-14.
Williams, 29, died Thursday in a small plane crash in Jackson Parish. He leaves behind his beloved wife Amanda and their precious young daughter Rosalie.
A four-year football letterman (2009-12) at Northwestern State who was a starting defensive end for his final three seasons, the Groveton, Texas, native was the NSU Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011-12 and earned Academic All-Southland Conference honors twice along with honorable mention All-Southland accolades.
He earned two prestigious NSU football honors, the Jack Clayton Memorial Scholarship and the Lester Latino Award for unselfish team play and leadership.
“This is an astonishing tragedy, the loss of as fine a person as I’ve ever known,” said LSHOF chairman Doug Ireland, who was also sports information director at NSU during Williams’ days with the Demon football program.
“My first and truest thoughts are not about Wade Williams the football player or teammate – and he was a great teammate and great leader. But it would be the man, the husband, the father, the Christian, the friend. There was just not a more pure person than Wade. There was pure goodness that we saw all in him. He and his wife, Amanda, were a spectacular couple. They adored each other.
“His involvement with the Hall of Fame began as a valet parker for our induction ceremony. He enjoyed it so much that he asked to do an internship with us, and that lasted two years. He was part of the team that helped open our museum in 2013 and made us better every day.
“Wade was an exceptional person who has left us far too soon. He had so much to give this world. It’s just a tragic loss.”
“There are no words to adequately express the grief of losing Wade Williams. Wade was one of the finest young adults I’ve ever known or had the pleasure of working with. His love of God and family and his daily desire to make a difference are hallmarks of Wade that I will always remember. He played an irreplaceable role in the successful opening of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum and the accompanying Induction Weekend in June of 2013. I will be forever grateful for Wade’s support during that crazy busy time. While so many are grieving over this life cut tragically short, I hope all can take comfort that Wade’s impact on our lives and kingdom of God will live on for a very long time,” shared former LSHOF Foundation President and CEO Lisa Babin.
