Burton was born on October 12, 1903, in Canoe, Alabama, to Benjamin Collis Williams and Maria Prescott.

[1] His father Benjamin was a long-time turpentine operator at Sopchoppy, Florida.

[3] One account before the start of his sophomore season at Florida reads: "Big Cy Williams, star Freshman tackle of last year and probably the Varsity tackle of this year, was the immediate cause of the 'dummy's' downfall for when he dove into the lifeless foe, it collapsed and Cy was deluged with sawdust.

The team was notable for the number of players from Georgia Tech, but also included two fellow former Gators, back Ark Newton and lineman Goldy Goldstein.

[8] He also appeared in a single game for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932, before being released.