JJ Williams makes long-awaited return from injury
“You have a serious injury and are going to miss some time from the pitch.” The dreaded words no soccer player ever wants to hear. It was the message Rhode Island FC forward JJ Williams received in February, leading him to a three-month long journey to recovery. All of his hard work would pay off, however, when the veteran striker returned to the pitch on Saturday, May 11, as Rhode Island FC took on Western Conference leaders Sacramento Republic FC at Beirne Stadium.
As the sun began to set and the sky turned scarlet in Smithfield, Rhode Island, Williams marched on with his teammates and stepped onto the pitch for the first time in a Rhode Island FC uniform.
“It felt fantastic,” said Williams. “I’ve been waiting so long for this moment. You don’t realize how much you miss something until it’s taken away from you. Being back on the pitch reminded me how much I love the game.”
Williams’ return was a joyful and momentous moment, and it looked as if the former University of Kentucky Wildcat hadn’t missed a step. Despite the match ending in a 2-2 draw, Williams’ RIFC teammates were delighted to have him back in the lineup and his presence felt.
“There was a lot of disappointment from the result, but everyone was really happy just to see me back out there,” said Williams. “They all congratulated me, which was really nice. I was just so excited to be back.”
Having the Birmingham, Alabama native back on the active roster adds another key piece to RIFC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith’s gameplan.
“JJ has USL Championship experience and is a goal scoring threat,” said Smith. “He brings a lot to the team and to be able to have him back makes us just that much more dangerous, not just on offense, but on defense as well. He continues to get his fitness to where it needs to be, but it takes being on the pitch to get it there, and he will.”
Being faced with a serious injury is never an easy experience for an athlete. As a professional soccer player, the ability to physically perform and use one’s body is critical. To be sidelined from the sport you love for an extended period of time can make the recovery journey that much tougher. For Williams, as grateful as he was to finally be back on the pitch, his feelings were understandably different several months ago.
“I felt a little bit of everything when I got the news,” said Williams. “I wanted to get it taken care of and make sure that I made a full recovery. But at the same time, I was frustrated because I really wanted to be a part of our historic first match with the guys. So, there were a lot of emotions when I got the news.”
After processing and accepting his road to recovery, Williams shifted his focus towards doing everything needed to get back to the pitch and make a full recovery. Williams’ recovery journey was not a simple path. As he continued along, he also gained new perspectives on the game itself.
“It took a lot of extra sessions in the gym and at physical therapy to get back,” said Williams. “I had to try to distance myself a bit since I wasn’t able to play, but I also wanted to be there at the matches and make sure the guys were still seeing me and knowing I was around. I made sure I was able to gain a different perspective on things. I was able to understand new things about being on the ball and how we want to play the game. I also worked on knowing more on how much time and space we have. I continued to learn new skills and I found the ability to slow things down on the pitch.”
It took a lot for Williams to find his way back to being 100 percent healthy and playing for the Ocean State club. Williams recognized that it was going to take more than just himself to complete his recovery.
“My wife was definitely my rock and she helped me out a lot,” said Williams. “Molly from Highbar Physical Therapy helped me through everything as well. She listened to what my body needed and made sure we worked through where we were at, every step of the way. Everyone around me made sure I stayed focused towards getting back to full health and switched on.”
Smith also played a role in Williams’ recovery and made sure to be there for him during the process.
“I would check in with him to make sure he was in a good place and I supported him,” said Smith. “Every injured player wants to get back in, but I had to remind him that as much as we wanted him back, he had to be healthy first.”
Williams and Rhode Island FC will have the chance to get a second road victory this Friday at 9 p.m. ET when the club takes on Western Conference foe Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The club will then return home on Saturday, May 25 to take on Louisville City FC at Beirne Stadium. Tickets to the next home match are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.