Few in the history of the sport of track and field set world records as frequently as Steve Williams. Between 1973 and 1976, he set the world record in the 100m on four separate occasions and set the world record once each in the 100-yard and 220-yard dashes. In 1973 he was ranked No. 1 in the world in both the 100m and 200m and repeated that honor in the 100m in 1975. He was the best in the world in 1977 when he won the World Cup title in the 100m and anchored the American 4x100m team that included Bill Collins, Steve Riddick and Cliff Wiley to a world record. However, Williams fell short of reaching Olympic competition. A career that truly began in 1973, Williams sustained an injury during the 1976 Olympic Trials and Team USA boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games. Williams competed for both the University of Texas-El Paso and San Diego State.