Lamar High School football continued one of its meaningful offseason traditions this week with the announcement that Alex Williams has been selected as the 2026 Don Rohlman Scholarship recipient.
The Lamar Thunder Football program shared the news alongside Linda Rohlman, who established the scholarship in memory of her late husband, Donald “Don” Rohlman.
The award provides a $1,000 scholarship to a senior football player from Lamar High School who plans to continue his education after graduation. Williams will attend Ft. Hays this fall.
For Williams, the recognition marks another milestone at the end of his high school football journey. For Lamar football, it also continues a tradition tied closely to one of the program’s own.
Don Rohlman graduated from Lamar High School in 1969, part of the first graduating class from the school’s then-new building.
He was active in both football and basketball and was widely known around the school for his leadership.
After graduation, he attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he began his college football career before later shifting his focus fully toward academics.
He eventually returned to Lamar, where he taught science and physical education at Lamar Middle School and coached football and basketball.
Altogether, Rohlman spent 12 years teaching and coaching before stepping away to work the family farm south of Lamar.
He passed away in November 2004 after battling cancer, but his name has remained closely connected to Lamar athletics through the scholarship.
A Scholarship Built Around Lamar Football’s Legacy
The Don Rohlman Scholarship has become a special part of the Lamar football program’s end-of-year recognition, honoring players preparing for college while also preserving the legacy of a former athlete, teacher and coach who spent years giving back to the same community.
Williams now adds his name to that tradition.
The announcement quickly drew support from the Lamar community, with parents, former players and local supporters congratulating him and wishing him well as he prepares for college this fall.
Messages of support centered not only on the scholarship itself but on what it represents: dedication to football, academics and the broader Lamar community.
That has become a defining part of the award.
Previous scholarship recipients have also been recognized through the program in recent years, helping turn the Don Rohlman Scholarship into a yearly reminder of Lamar football’s connection across generations.
Each spring, it links current players with the history of the program and the people who helped build it.
For Williams, the honor comes at the close of his senior year and just before his move to Ft. Hays.
For the football program, it is another chance to celebrate a graduating player while remembering someone whose impact on Lamar extended far beyond the field.
The scholarship continues to carry Don Rohlman’s name into a new generation of Lamar athletes, and this year, Alex Williams becomes the latest player to carry that legacy forward.
