Wyoming’s Jaden Williams’ ‘Promise to Mom’ is Coming to Fruition

LARAMIE -- Forty-five days.

That's how long it took to put finger to key. It was a letter Jaden Williams never thought he would sit down to write. None of it seems real even to this day.

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It wasn't meant as a goodbye, but instead an admission. A sincere testimony.

"Hey mama, it’s your Bootsie," it began.

Nicknames. Those were a specialty for Cleo Branch.

An illuminating smile, coupled with a larger-than-life personality and sense of humor to match, it's only fitting that her obituary mentions her love of partying. The plethora of tributes that poured into a memorial website after her untimely death also allude qualities like loyalty, compassion and strength.

Those meaningful words came from loved ones like "Dae Dae," "Pooh-Pooh Monster" and "Shu Shu."

There are many, many others.

"I miss you heavily and I wish things were different, but that’s selfish of me," Williams' note continued. "I’m glad you are up there doing your thing, having a good time, because knowing you, I know you’re going to find some way to turn up. It won’t be the same without you down here, especially because you’re going to miss a lot and it hurts, man, thinking about you daily and I always will."

On March 1, 2021, an aneurysm claimed Branch's life. She was just 48 years old.

She left behind a daughter and three sons.

Williams, a defensive tackle on the University of Wyoming football team, is the baby.

The stages of grief came in powerful waves in those days. Williams was just 16 then, a junior at North Hollywood Campbell Hall. Admittedly, they can still linger. The descriptors, those are plentiful: Helpless, numb, despondent.

Heartbroken is more than sufficient.

"I'm really sad you won't be there for a lot of firsts," Williams said in Laramie in late April, recalling the final words he spoke to his mother as she lie motionless in a Los Angeles area hospital room. "You know, my first college football game, marriage, my first kid. I just said thank you for everything you did for me. You know, a lot of things I'm going to do going forward in life will be for her and memories of her.

"She was my everything. She was my protector, my best friend. She did a lot for us growing up. She has a special place in my heart."

Though Williams' journey can already be deemed a success, a promise was made that day.

Academics, admittedly, weren't high on the football star's to-do list. His focus was in question. The man himself even uttered the word laziness.

"My mom did a lot for me and my siblings, so I had to grow up a little bit," he said. "You know, try to take control of things so I could really put myself in a good situation to get a college smooth and be smooth while in college as well and not put any stress on my grandma."

The potential was evident. Proving it became the goal.

Williams did just that during his senior season, tallying an eye-popping 11 quarterback sacks and 15 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He registered 70 total tackles -- 48 of the solo variety -- and hurried opposing signal callers 26 more times. He also tacked on a forced fumble, a recovery and an interception while leading Campbell Hall to a 10-1 record and a berth in the Division 6 playoffs.

Wyoming was the first school to offer Williams. Mountain West foes Nevada and UNLV were late to the party.

He called the decision a "no-brainer."

Jay Sawvel is certainly thankful for that.

"He's a really good young man," Wyoming's rookie head coach and former defensive coordinator said about the 6-foot-4, 290-pound sophomore. "You appreciate where he's at and how he works day in and day out.

"... I'm a big fan of him. He's just a really good young man with a great personality. He always smiles. You want to see him have success."

His time could be now.

Fellow interior lineman Gavin Meyer entered the NCAA Transfer Portal during the spring. Caleb Robinson, another veteran, suffered a torn ACL in camp. Williams appeared in three games as a true freshman. Last fall, he got into five contests, finishing with a pair of tackles, including a sack in an opening night upset victory over Texas Tech.

His plan is to contribute. Sawvel said consistency will land him in the rotation.

"It comes down to using his hands playing with pad level," Sawvel added. "If he plays with a low pad level and leads with his hands, he's a problem. He's got good speed and he's got really good size. He's extremely strong. He's a 415 (pound) bench guy and has other numbers that are really good."

Jordan Bertagnole has been by Williams' side since he arrived on campus in 2022. The two tackles have developed a close relationship. That's easy to do when you share the same position -- and an all-too-similar tragedy.

Bertagnole lost his mother Sarah back in 2011. Cancer cut her life short at just 44.

While this is a bond no one wants to share, the Casper product said Williams' rise has been inspiring.

"People say it gets easier, which, yeah, maybe, some normal days do," the sixth-year senior said. "There's always those days, though, like anniversaries, which really get to you. He has those days, but he always responds. I know he always plays for his mom and does everything for his mom. I'm kind of from that same background and everything I do, I always think of her. So seeing him overcome that, like I did, is super cool."

It was a family atmosphere, Williams said, that drew him to Laramie and this program. He calls his teammates "brothers away from home." Development was another selling point that led him to this distant place. That is not only currently happening on the field, but off.

There are now more good days than bad, but Williams' ultimate tribute to mom is still being written.

"I can’t bring myself to cry anymore but I’m hurting and I will for a long time," his letter continued. "I’m happy that you’re finally free. Free from all the cares, worries and stress this earth gave you. You deserved the best and nothing but that. You’re the perfect mother, woman and person, to me, and I know that honestly and truthfully in my heart. You would forever fight for all four of us even if we were in the wrong because that’s the type of mom you were. You played no games and I love you for that because I would fight for you regardless of the matter, mama. Even though you're not here anymore, I’ll carry on your legacy forever. So will my kids and the kids after that, I promise you. Everything I do now is for you, because nothing would be possible if it weren’t for you in the first place. I’ll take care of grandma and Santi to the best of my ability, so I got them. You don’t need to worry, mama. Get your rest and relaxation up there. Love you endlessly and infinitely forever. Your son."