Deron Williams .... I am so Proud of YOU ....

Deron Williams from The Colony High School Class of 2002 is now a starter for the Utah Jazz .... and the Utah Jazz are in the playoffs! And Deron is one class act of a young man. ((Okay ... so he has a lot of tatoos.))

I was Deron's Geometry teacher at TCHS and I am quite sure he owes all his success on the court to the skills I taught him in Geometry. I keep looking for a mention of my name in the numerous Sports Illustrated articles and occasional Dallas Morning News article ... I'm sure I'll see it sometime. He's probably just waiting to win his first NBA championship.

Okay ... so maybe he doesn't remember me ... but I sure remember him.

I remember him sitting in the back of my classroom and telling me he was going to be the next Kobe Bryant. My response to that statement ... "Who is Kobe Bryant?"

I remember him coming in early to class and telling me to go to various college websites where he was on their recruiting watch list ... as a sophmore!

I remember his coach telling me that he didn't expect any favors as far as grades were concerned ... he wanted this young man to be able to do well on his SATs.

I remember Deron signing with the University of Illinois and when he told me about it I mentioned that my sister and brother were both Fighting Illini ... and he said, "By the way .... What's an Illini?"

I remember going to an electronics store with my husband to shop for a Big Screen TV and seeing Deron Williams and the Fighting Illini being featured on all the TV's in the store. I told anyone who would listen to me that he was my student at TCHS.

I remember going "home" to Illinois for Christmas and having my niece be in awe ... "YOU taught Deron Williams? He is so awesome!"

I remember watching the Final Four ... then the NBA draft (he went 3rd) .... and now I am watching him play with the Big Boys. Wait ... he IS a Big Boy. WOW.

This article in the DMN expresses well what has taken Deron from TCHS to where he is today. He owes a lot to his Mother ... and to Coach Tommy Thomas .... (and his geometry teacher, Ms. Khan, now Ms. Mack) .... but ultimately DERON has done all of this himself.

And I am very proud of him.