Reggie Williams' bad knees are no match for his great spirit

Reggie Williams, former Bengal linebacker, has enjoyed a very success and fruitful post-NFL career, including a stint as a Cincinnati councilman and an executive position with Disney. But, like a lot of NFL players, Williams has suffered lingering effects from football. Williams nearly lost his right leg due to a severe infection in his knee. An Orlando Sentinel article does not spare the gory details, if you must. (Otherwise, skip past the photo.)

"[Williams] spent 70 days in the hospital, watched his knee turn into a gory crevice... Doctors had finally killed the osteomyelitis that was devouring his knee. They'd filled the hole by detaching Williams' calf muscle and using it as a flap."

Then, check out the gruesome photo...

Okay, now I can enjoy my oatmeal breakfast.

Yes, it is sad that anyone has to endure such pain, but Reggie Williams has fought valiantly, as the NY Times writer George Vescey captures:

In his darkest days, [Williams] said, he was buoyed by reading Viktor E. Frankl’s enduring book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” the perspective of a Holocaust survivor. “He had a chance to escape, but he didn’t do it,” Williams said. “He had to maintain a certain sanity and not have negative thoughts.” Williams was sustained by a network of great friends, many of them African-Americans of talent and character who had been recruited to Dartmouth College in the tumultuous but idealistic ’60s and ’70s — the generation that led to our new president, to new hope.

--Marc Isenberg

Comments

[Mizzo]

here's another piece on Reggie Williams.

http://thestartingfive.net/2008/09/10/the-courage-resolve-and-responsibility-of-reggie-williams/

Happy Holidays to you.

[Bill Tsiu]

I really can’t understand how players can sit there and demand assistance for injuries after retiring without any guilt whatsoever. They know full well what the risks are and the average longevity of each player in every position. In addition, they sign contracts for more money than I’d ever see in 10 lifetimes. They should have prepared themselves for life out of football when they had the opportunity, instead of spending money on partying, cars, houses, and women. And whatever else they throw their money away on, instead of investing in their future./Cool widgets at statbeast. Check it!