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Sonny Bill Williams may have claimed rugbys top honours in the 15-man code but the thought of winning sevens gold at the Olympic Games in Rio gives him butterflies.The New Zealand star is a two-time World Cup winner and Super Rugby title holder in rugby union, has reached the peak in rugby league and is a belt-holder in national boxing. But he is still seeking the ultimate honour.To be able to say youre an Olympian and get a medal, thatd just be another level, Williams told ESPN. It would be unbelievable. I get butterflies just thinking about it. God willing it all works out.Williams is not your usual rugby player, let alone sportsman. He will be the headline attraction at the sevens but has been a polarising figure.There is a fine line between being seen as a sporting mercenary or as an exceptional athlete making the most of his or her potential in different disciplines.A brief history of Williams peripatetic sporting journey saw him start in rugby league before moving to union and Toulon in 2009 and back in 2013.His second shift to union came in time for the 2015 World Cup but during this time he also went undefeated in seven boxing bouts, adding the NZPBA and WBA heavyweight belts to his six titles rugby titles.The debate over whether Williams is a mercenary or genius has continued but watchers of rugby league and union cannot help feel a sense of awe at everything he has achieved. He has fallen into the sports genius category and making the sevens team could prove to be his greatest achievement yet.Sevens was announced as an Olympic sport in 2009, but as the Rio Games ticked closer, various stars of the 15-man scene started to wonder whether they could make the cut in the shorter form of the game.Figures such as Australias Quade Cooper and South Africas Bryan Habana tried and failed to win places in their squads. Former San Francisco 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne was omitted from Fijis party, while Williams All Blacks teammate Liam Messam was another who fell at the final hurdle.Reputations as world-class players in the 15-man code have meant little for the specialist shorter form of sevens but, on July 3, Williams was included in New Zealands Olympic squad.He played in the World Sevens Series, learned the trade and immersed himself in the sport. He had long looked destined for the Games squad and his selection points to wider ramifications for the sport.?New Zealand Sevens star Tim Mikkelson said Williams could do stuff that no one in the team is able to do, before adding he had also grown the game of rugby worldwide.Scott Curry, the captain, said Williams was fully committed to sevens but also brings a lot of exposure and publicity to rugby.The added-value does not sit easily with Williams. I try and not let that dictate my life, he said. I let my family and religion dictate that. Although Im not perfect, I know where my happy place is.I can veer off course but thats where I have to get back to. Thats what I try and focus on. Im a rugby player, this or that, but thats not my whole life. That doesnt dictate who I am. I know who I really am, what I stand for and try and get back to that.Centre StageWilliams was talking about his dreams of Rio de Janeiro in the surroundings of Chelsea Football Clubs Stamford Bridge stadium. The interview time with him had been cut; Williams would not, under any circumstances, be late for a team meeting.He is a man in demand but in his sporting sphere, the team comes before individual requirements; he does all he can to be a rugby everyman.Away from Williams profession and teammates, his life revolves around his family -- wife Alana and daughter Imaan -- and his Muslim faith.[Im happiest] when Im doing my five prayers, when Im around my family a lot and when that takes centre stage, Williams said.Religion, coupled with his passion for boxing, has led him to him idolise the great Muhammad Ali, who converted to Islam soon after triumphing at the 1960 Olympics.His faith [was inspiring] and I guess, though he didnt always say the right things, he always backed it up, Williams said. I appreciate that from an athlete. I can only imagine the scrutiny and amount of people that would want to see him fail. But he kept on trucking on.There was that fight against George Foreman where no one expected him to win, the odds were stacked against him but somehow he did. It showed the character of him, the man he was.It wasnt just about his mouth, he had something deep inside him that allowed him to go to those dark places and come out on top.Williams is a fascinating character who may not always be on message. Last year, he visited Lebanon on a trip with UNICEF and laid bare the brutality on Twitter, drawing criticism for posting pictures of dead children.Then there was the episode after the 2015 World Cup final when a boy was tackled by a security guard as he ran on to the field towards Williams during the All Blacks lap of honour. The man frequently known by his initials -- SBW -- responded by giving the pitch invader, 14-year-old Charlie Lines, his winners medal.The player whose confidence and code switching attracted attention has become a reluctant hero; his star can only glow brighter now if he guides New Zealand to gold at Rio.The OlympianThe mens side of the sevens competition starts on August 9 at the Deodoro Stadium. New Zealand kick off their pool stage campaign against Japan before facing Great Britain and Kenya.Fiji are the tournament favourites but New Zealand, among others, must fancy their chances of topping the podium too.The Olympics has the power to create stars and in the peer vacuum that is sport, current figures have been frequently compared to their predecessors.But rugby is yet to encounter anyone quite like Williams and that fact will be underscored when he has his first touch of the ball in Rio.When the Olympics are on when you are a youngster, the telly is on, all day every day. 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