Shawn “Willy” Williams
NAME: Shawn “Willy” Williams
INDUCTED: 2026
HOMETOWN: Brooklin
POSITION: Player
Shawn Williams developed his passion for lacrosse at an early age, inspired by his father, Greg Williams, a former member of the Brooklin Redmen. That early foundation, combined with rare natural talent and relentless work ethic, propelled him to one of the most decorated careers the sport has ever seen.
Williams enjoyed tremendous success both in the box and on the field with the defining chapter of his career unfolding over 19 seasons with the Brooklin Redmen. During his MSL tenure, he captured the league scoring championship six times (1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2012) and was named Most Valuable Player on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2011). He remains Brooklin’s all-time leading scorer and is second all-time in Canadian lacrosse history, amassing an incredible 2,121 points across 474 regular-season and playoff games. Among his many records is a league best 21 points in a single game, set on July 26, 1999.
Williams’ championship pedigree includes two Mann Cup titles—one with Brooklin in 2000, and another with the Brampton Excelsiors in 2009. His 2009 Mann Cup performance remains legendary, as he led all scorers with 29 points in seven games and was named Mann Cup Series MVP.
At the professional level, Williams posted outstanding numbers over 17 seasons in the National Lacrosse League, competing for four franchises and recording over 1,200 career points. He appeared in six NLL All-Star Games and captured two NLL championships—with Toronto in 1999 and Rochester in 2007—cementing his place among the league’s most consistent offensive threats.
Internationally, Williams represented Canada on multiple occasions, winning Canada’s second World Field Championship in 2006, two silver medals (2002 and 2010) and two World Indoor Lacrosse Championships (2003, 2007). His versatility also extended to Major League Lacrosse, where he won a 2009 field championship with the Toronto Nationals. Williams also helped his Brock Badgers to four Canadian University Baggataway Cup titles (1994, 1996-98).
His influence on the sport did not stop with his playing career. Since 2005, he has been building an exceptional coaching résumé from high school lacrosse in Durham Region, to guiding Brock University to two Canadian Championships, to more than 10 provincial championships with Whitby and Oshawa Minor organizations, to Junior A with Six Nations and Whitby to the NLL with Colorado and currently with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. He is also coaching with the Canada’s National Women’s Sixes team. Shawn was inducted into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame as a player in 2021
From Junior B Rookie of the Year in honours in 1991 to Major Series and NLL scoring and MVP titles, Shawn Williams’ career milestones span more than two decades. The lacrosse community proudly celebrates one of the most prolific and respected figures in Canadian lacrosse history — a lifelong ambassador whose influence continues to shape the game at every level.
Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame & Museum
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