Our History

Will Dottery was raised in the rural community of Awendaw, SC, just outside of Charleston. As a high school athlete, he excelled in football, baseball and basketball. It was during his senior year that his talent in one sport stood out above the rest. He won awards and trophies in all sports, but his football performance earned the attention of college scouts. In 1996, he received 13 scholarship offers to play college football and decided to make Johnson C. Smith University his collegiate home.  

At Johnson C. Smith, he realized his natural athletic talent as other school teams desired that he play for them. Although he had a full football scholarship, Will decided to also join the basketball team, becoming a two-sport player. And just like high school, he was successful. Soon he was working out for NFL scouts alongside senior athletes, and he was only a freshman. He began thinking that an NFL career was in reach, but a play at the end of his sophomore year changed his life. 

While attempting to tackle the opposing team’s running back, Will was hit in the head. His body was numb, and he soon learned that he suffered a career-ending and life altering injury. He was paralyzed from a C4 and C5 fracture to his vertebrate. This spinal cord injury left Will unable to walk and with limited use of his hands. It seemed that everything went downhill from there. He lost one of his greatest cheerleaders, his mother, to cancer. Will was blessed to have his father and stepmother, along with other family members in his corner. Today, he also has a beautiful wife and lovely children. 

Dream Walkers was born from Will’s desire to help other people who have experienced spinal cord injuries. Always a community role model, he wouldn’t let his injury stop him from being a positive example. Having first-hand knowledge of what happens when these injuries occur, Will decided to shed light on this side of sports and the crucial information parents should know when exposing their children to possible injury. He is not anti-sports, but rather pro-information. Dream Walkers fills a void of awareness and resources for adults and children. The goal is to help source financial, mental and physical solutions for those newly impacted individuals and families. 

While his progress is slow, Will is still in physical therapy and dreams of walking.