An Upstate man has accomplished what many people said he couldn't. Alva Williams graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Friday morning, and made history in the process. He's the first above the knee amputee to ever complete the curriculum.

Williams lost his leg in a freak football accident back in 1986, but that didn't stop him from quitting on his dream. He says,"If you fall down, you have to pick yourself up again. Get the job done."

The academy also presented Williams with the first-ever Courage Award.

Williams starts his new job with the Travelers Rest Police Department Monday.