After graduating from college, Hesmer was drafted 17th overall in the
2004 MLS SuperDraft by
Kansas City Wizards. However, with
Tony Meola starting in goal, and the very experienced
Bo Oshoniyi as his backup, Hesmer was not able to establish himself, and finished the MLS season without playing a single minute, although he did take to the field – for one single minute in a game against
Rochester Raging Rhinos – during a brief loan spell with the
Richmond Kickers in the
A-League. During the 2005 season, he appeared in two
U.S. Open Cup matches for the Wizards. In the 2006 season, Hesmer made three appearances, but did not make an impact on the first team. He won and earned a shutout in his debut league game versus the
Columbus Crew. Hesmer became the third goalkeeper in MLS history to score a goal in a 2–2 draw with
Toronto FC at
BMO Field on October 16, 2010. With the Crew trailing 2–1 in second-half stoppage time, he sprinted to the center of the Toronto FC penalty area as an extra attacker while an
Eddie Gaven corner kick was in mid-flight. The ball was headed by
Chad Marshall back to Hesmer, who was given enough time to trap, set and fire it into the net. A
fractured right
shoulder resulting from a collision with
Danny Califf in the 85th minute of a 3–1 victory over
Philadelphia Union in the regular season finale at
Columbus Crew Stadium on October 24, 2010, forced Hesmer to miss the playoffs. He made his 100th league appearance for the Crew on March 26, 2011, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 tie with
New York Red Bulls. An ankle sprain suffered during the first day of preseason training, sidelined Hesmer to begin the 2012 season. During the rehabilitation period, he made what would be his final appearance in the Black & Gold, starting and playing the first half for the Crew reserves in a 2–1 loss to the
Montreal Impact reserves, following the Crew senior squad's home opener on March 24, 2012, at
Columbus Crew Stadium. In April, Hesmer was forced to undergo surgery on his right hip, which had been initially injured three years earlier, costing him the remainder of the season. At the end of the year, Columbus declined his 2013 contract option and Hesmer chose to enter the
2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Hesmer ended his Columbus career with the most shutouts in Crew history with 45 across all competitions. On December 14, 2012, he was selected by
Los Angeles Galaxy in stage two of the draft. Despite being selected, Hesmer didn't sign with the Galaxy and opted to retire on February 19, 2013. Will was signed to a one-day contract with the
Carolina Railhawks as a backup goalkeeper for their June 24, 2014, U.S. Open Cup match against the LA Galaxy. == Personal life ==