Eric Berry won’t be the only player coming off a battle with cancer to suit up in the preseason this weekend.
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams is expected to play Friday night against the Denver Broncos less than three months after surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.
“Jesse’s going. We’re going to play Jesse,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “What a story. He’s never, never hinted that he wouldn’t make it back and get ready. He’s practiced well. We’ll control the number of snaps he plays. He’s going to be out there battling. I think it’s a great tribute to the kid. He’s a real competitor.”
Williams returned to limited participation last week for the first time since the surgery and was taking part in all periods of practice throughout this week. It will be the first time Williams will be uniform for Seattle since the 2013 preseason.
Williams was diagnosed with Papillary Type 2 cancer in May and had to have a kidney removed as part of the treatment.
He has missed all of his first two seasons in the league while on injured reserve due to knee injuries. He’s only played in two preseason games since being selected in the fifth round of the 2013 draft by Seattle.
Williams was hoping to be able to play when he returned to practice last week. He’ll get his wish against the Broncos Friday night.
“Man, I’ll play tomorrow if they let me,” Williams said after returning to practice last week. “I had my helmet and was strapped up out there today, and they’re only letting me run through individuals. But as soon as they give me the okay to go I don’t know if you’ll see any more people out there trying to hit someone as hard as me. As soon as they let me go I’m hitting the ground running.”
