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William 'The Gentleman' DeYonker overcoming autism to become world class pool player

Posted at 5:52 PM, Oct 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-06 17:52:12-04

William DeYonker is sometimes better known as 'The Gentleman'. He's a billiards master and internationally known trick shot artist.

"I’ve got a lot on my plate, I have a lot on my hands to fill in my shoes and defend my rankings," says DeYonker. "Every time I try a new shot, I try to do it as much as I can to where I can just do it in a couple attempts. After that then it all comes second nature to me. Kind of like being an actor in a movie. The more experience you get, the more it comes natural for you."

His mother, Susan Blaskay, says DeYonker has always been drawn to things that roll.

"William was always onto kinetic models. He was always interested in balls rolling into holes. He would watch golf when he was two," she says.

DeYonker is currently ranked No. 5 in the world. His goal is to be No. 1. Not only is he one of the best, he's also completely self-taught.

"Basically what it was, was I was recreating shots from what i saw on YouTube videos,” says DeYonker.

You might never guess that learning new things has been a challenge for DeYonker his entire life.

"When he was four, knew something was wrong because he would only say one world. Apple. Or apple, please," explains Blaskay.

DeYonker has a high functioning form of autism called Asperger's syndrome. At age 24, he's done more than his mother could have ever dreamed of.

"I was hoping that he could just be self-sustaining. That he could finish school, do school on his own. That he would be able to learn to drive. The things that we all take for granted. So to have him not only do all those things, but to have such a great accomplishment in this... It's just over the top crazy great," says Blaskay. "In the last two years, I’ve watched him….become a gentleman!”

To watch more of 'The Gentleman's' trick shot videos, check out hisFacebook page.