Man of Many Accolades

The 2009 season was a break-out year for Will Graham, AKA "Deuce," of the High Point Ravens. During this season, he accumulated several accolades, including: Team MVP and team Defensive Back of the Year, along with being named a Semi-Pro BCS 1st Team All-American and a National Football Events 2ND Team All-American. He was also a member of the Alliance Football League (AFL) Team and the Central Carolina Football League (CCFL) All-Star Team where he garnered the title of CCFL All-Star Defensive MVP. On top of these honors, he is currently the Ravens' All-Time Interception Leader with 10.

Will, in his second year with Ravens, is a team captain capable of leading his team on both sides of the ball, as he plays a variety of positions including corner back, kicker, punter & quarterback. He was named a team captain after the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis, MO. Being named a team captain is a honor bestowed upon few, and when Will was given this title, he was excited and ready to get back on the field with the rookies and returnees. He felt that after the 2009 season, "I was in a better leadership position, therefore giving another person an opportunity to go far, as well as the team."

Football is a passion in the Graham family, and Will's inspiration to play began before he could walk. "I pushed a little plush football around on the floor as I crawled. I continued playing throughout my childhood chasing my father & uncle's legacies, as they were top-notch players in high school, college and the Marine Corps." His inspiration to play after his childhood is due to this passion, as he "works hard on & off the field trying to improve skills in hopes of one day playing at the next level." Will's main focus, at the time, is going to school to get a degree to provide for his family (wife Sarah and son William V AKA Cinco), but he would love for football to become another source of income. Sitting in the stands at a majority of Will's games, you'll see his wife, son and mother, Awilda, Showing their support for this passion. "Being able to look up into the stands & see my wife, baby boy and mom sitting there gives me more inspiration to play even harder. Last season, my wife was working in PA, but this year, with her here, it's perfect!"

The Ravens have joined the Alliance Football League this year, playing in the Piedmont Division. This division includes teams from Greensboro, Burlington, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Morganton, Raleigh and Camp Lejeune. Per Will, "The new league has shown great promise from seeing the teams at the All-Star game. It seems to be more structured and has a higher caliber of competition. The website, for the most part, stays updated, and the league offers a Players' Association to help promote players to the next level they want to play at. I think the Ravens will bring a lot of fire and talent to the league and see some of the equal skill too!

The 2009 CCFL All-Star game was a shinning example of Will's talents and capabilities, as he was unanimously named the All-Star Defensive MVP, in his first year as an All-Star. He finished the game with two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and five tackles. He continued to "ride the All-Star wave of success to St. Louis for the AFL All-Star Game " where he was joined by there of this teammates (Yancey Gregory, Xavier Locke and Chris Ingram). For this game, Will says " We went out there to play where people had no knowledge of us and left a lasting nightmare in their heads!" Will collected one interception, a forced fumble and some pass break-ups and tackles. Will, along with teammate Xavier Locke, was named Co-MVP of the All-Star Game by Coach James Littejohn.

Passionate, hard worker and dedicated are just a few words to describe Will, but if the 2009 season was an indication of this talents and capabilities, the 2010 seas offers a lot of promise for the chance to shine again. Hopefully at the end of the season, we'll see Will as a high roller in Vegas at the 2010 All-Star game!

By: Hope Layell