Baylor football field named after Pasadena High graduate

Baylor University has announced that the football field at the school’s new stadium will be named after John Eddie Williams, a 1972 graduate of Pasadena High School.

Now living and practicing law in Houston, Williams is a 1976 Baylor graduate who went on to earn his law degree from the school. He played football at Baylor under coach Grant Teaff.

The university announced it has received a major donation from Williams, which reportedly ranks among the top five capital gifts in the history of the school.

The gift from Williams, paired with one from Elizabeth and Drayton McLane Jr., gave fundraising for the new Baylor Stadium a real jumpstart, the school said in a news release.

“Baylor and Baylor Law School encouraged me to work in service to others and, so far as I am able, to give back to others,” said Williams in the press release. “As a former football student athlete under coach Grant Teaff, I am honored and humbled to have my name associated with a project that will take Baylor athletics to new heights.”

“A distinguished alumnus of both Baylor University and Baylor Law School, and one of our nation’s foremost legal advocates, John Eddie Williams has already left a major imprint on our campus,” said Baylor President Ken Starr, according to the press release.

The new on-campus Baylor Stadium, which will encompass John Eddie Williams Field, is expected to be built on a 93-acre site on Interstate 35. The stadium will hold 45,000 spectators, with flexibility to expand to 55,000 in the future.

A native Houstonian and son of a longshoreman, Williams is the managing partner of Williams, Kherkher, Hart and Boundas Law Firm and lives with his wife, Sheridan, in Houston.