Former Aurora University player alleges racial discrimination
A former Aurora University football player, Brook Williams, shared with ABC7 Chicago his story of facing racial discrimination and threats from teammates. He described how comments and behavior from two teammates made him feel unsafe and unwelcome.
From dream to disillusionment
Williams said that joining the Aurora University football team had been a lifelong dream for him. From the moment he first visited the campus, he felt inspired by what he believed was a spirit of “brotherhood.” However, his experience turned out to be very different.
“I was so stuck on Aurora and like the picture they painted of the brotherhood,” Williams said.
Incidents of racial harassment
According to Williams, one encounter took place on the night of August 21 while he was staying at a teammate’s house to cut down on commuting. He recounted that one teammate made a racist comment implying he “slept in trees.”
“In that moment, I knew he was calling me a monkey,” Williams said.
Williams further alleged that another teammate used a racial slur and warned him not to enter his room.
“One of my teammates called me the n-word and said I better not go in his room,” he claimed.
Threatening references
He said the comments escalated beyond insults, referencing the killing of George Floyd in a way that made him feel personally threatened. As a result, Williams decided to leave both the team and Aurora University.
“It went from racial slurs to something referencing George Floyd. I took that as a personal threat,” he told ABC7.
Author’s Summary
Brook Williams, a former Aurora University football player, alleged enduring racial slurs and threats from teammates, prompting his decision to quit both the team and the university.