DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson is a Hall of Fame heavyweight boxer whose life exemplifies resilience, discipline, and the transformative power of movement. Raised in poverty stricken Washington, D.C., he rose from hardship through sheer determination, earning a college football scholarship and completing his bachelor’s degree at Wayne State College, where he was later inducted into the Wayne State College Most Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. After transitioning to boxing, Williamson earned an invitation to the Olympic Training Center and completed his master’s degree at Northern Michigan University through USA Boxing, balancing graduate-level academics with the demands of elite athletic competition.

 

While at Northern Michigan University and the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC), Williamson became one of the most decorated heavyweight amateur boxers in United States history. Representing NMU, he claimed ten national titles, including National Golden Gloves Championships in 1996 and 1999, and achieved a historic milestone by winning three consecutive United States National Amateur Heavyweight Championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, the first and only heavyweight ever to accomplish this feat. He earned a Goodwill Games Silver Medal, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in two different weight classes in the same Olympic year, and served as Team Captain of the USOEC boxing team. He was twice elected as a USA Boxing Athlete Representative, demonstrating leadership beyond the ring. Among his highest distinctions, Williamson was named Best Amateur Boxer in the United States (1997) and, in October 1998, the United States Olympic Committee’s Olympic Athlete of the Month, a national honor he received over fellow nominee Lance Armstrong, highlighting the magnitude of his impact on U.S. Olympic sport. With an amateur record of 120 wins, 103 knockouts, and an 88 percent knockout rate, his devastating right hand earned him the nickname “Touch of Sleep.”

 

Williamson advanced to a successful professional career, earning 27 wins, capturing multiple regional heavyweight titles, and being named the “Hardest Puncher in the World” by Ring Magazine. His rare combination of athletic dominance and academic achievement distinguishes him as one of the few heavyweight boxers to excel in higher education while competing at the sport’s highest levels.

 

Today, Williamson channels his passion into community health, youth development, and lifelong wellness. He is the founder of TOS Boxing in Englewood, Colorado, one of the state’s premier training facilities, and the creator of Touchstone Youth Boxing, a nonprofit that teaches discipline, confidence, and life skills to hundreds of young people. His leadership has earned recognition such as Englewood School District Volunteer of the Year and induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, where he is only the third boxer ever enshrined.

 

More than an athlete, DaVarryl Williamson is a mentor, coach, role model, and community pillar. Meeting him is an experience that inspires, energizes, and leaves a lasting impression.