ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As a player, DeShawn Williams doesn’t worry about playing the dangerous game of football.
As a parent, he does.
“I’ll tell ya what, my son’s not playing football,’’ said Williams, the Broncos’ starting defensive tackle. “I’ll tell ya that. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to make as much money as I can so I can take care of him. But my son is not playing football.’’
Williams said he had made this decision on behalf of 10-month-old Titan, whose photo locket hangs from the chain around dad’s burly neck, well before what he saw Monday night.
What Williams saw was a friend go down.
Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest after making a chest-area tackle on Cincinnati Bengals’ receiver Tee Higgins.
“I think everybody here can say we never seen anything like that,’’ Williams said. “I don’t know how to feel. I feel like I’m numb to the situation. I hate it had to be him. One thing I know, God doesn’t make mistakes and I hate that it had to be him to shine the light or whatever the case may be on his foundation, but I hate it had to be him because I know him personally.
“I worked out at Pittsburgh two years ago. So I know him. Aaron Donald and all those guys I’d seen them throughout the facility so I know him. So it’s just -- you don’t want to go out there timid, because that’s when things can happen. You still want to go out there and fly around and play ball.’’
Broncos tight end Albert Okwuegbunam said he was watching the Monday night game with a couple of his tight end teammates. Did the moment cause him to sit back and reflect: What the heck am I doing playing this violent game?
“You don’t really second guess it because you can’t think that way and play at a high level,’’ Okwuegbunam said Wednesday in a sit-down interview with 9NEWS. “So it never really crosses my mind. Obviously, when you see a situation like this, it is crazy that it is a possibility and kind of registers with you but at the end of the day, no, it’s never something that I’m scared of or thinking about while I’m out there.”
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was asked about the difficulty of playing this Sunday against the Chargers after watching Hamlin collapse from cardiac arrest. (Wilson and his wife Ciara are one of the largest donors listed on Hamlin's GoFundMe page at $13,333).
“People always say that you would die for this game, but when it is really life on the line like we saw the other night and somebody’s heart stops, it changes your perspective that much more,'' Wilson said. "Life is so much bigger than this game. This game is important, and it is significant. It is something that we care about and brings us joy, but it is also not the lasting thing. I believe Damar has a child, too. Those things are what matter most. Just to experience that and to watch that—I’m just glad that he’s okay.”
Williams said it was a little difficult getting back there out there this week for practice knowing the Broncos will strap on the pads Sunday for their final regular season game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High.
“It is because it’s still in the back of your mind, like, ‘Dang that happened,’ but like Jerry [Rosburg, the Broncos’ interim head coach] said we’ve got a game. You don’t want to go out there and play cautious. You still want to fly around and hit people. That’s the love of the game. But you’ve got to take every play like it can be your last.”
Or in Titan Williams’ case, he may never get his first play if dad has any say.
“If he loves it, cool,’’ Williams said. “But I’m not putting him out there. Nah. I can’t do it.”
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports