Emotions run high for Williams brothers
SEATTLE – Every day, Washington defensive backs coach J.D. Williams walks past the purple “No. 25” painted on the Husky Stadium turf and thinks of his brother Curtis.
Fresno State wide receiver Paul Williams will experience similar feelings when he sees the number today, when Washington plays hosts to the Bulldogs in what will be an emotionally challenging afternoon for the Williams brothers.
It’s been almost six years since Curtis Williams – their older brother and at the time a senior defensive back at Washington – suffered a paralyzing neck injury against Stanford. Less than two years later, Williams died from complications because of the paralysis.
The whole Williams clan will converge on Husky Stadium today to watch J.D. scheme against Paul, and celebrate their performances and Curtis’ legacy.
“I’m here every day, and I get a chance to be a part of it every day,” J.D. Williams said. “For him, I think it’ll be more emotional because he’s not around this,” he said of his brother Paul.
“I imagine after the game we’ll be able to celebrate.”
J.D. Williams was coaching for Fresno State, against Tulsa, on the October afternoon that Curtis was injured. Paul, then a promising junior at Avenal High School in California’s Central Valley, was in the stands at Stanford watching Curtis play.
“We really didn’t know what was going on until the next day,” Paul Williams recalled. “When we heard the news he was never going to walk again, that was rough on me.”
In part to give Curtis a chance to watch him play, Paul followed in J.D.’s footsteps to play football at Fresno State. Curtis died before he played his first collegiate down, but the senior is looking forward to Saturday’s reunion.
“With J.D. being there, it’s giving me added incentive to want to play there,” Paul Williams said. “He’s never really seen me play live. I just want to make everybody proud.”
Paul Williams will be trying to help the Bulldogs rebound from last week’s tough 31-24 loss to No. 18 Oregon. He’ll face a secondary, coached by his brother J.D., that is last in the Pac-10 Conference in passing yards allowed.
J.D. Williams was hired by Washington coach Tyrone Willingham last off-season after spending four seasons at California. Williams didn’t realize until after he arrived in Seattle that the Huskies played Fresno State and he would be planning against his little brother.
“He’s big and fast and he’s a physical receiver,” J.D. Williams said. “We’ll do some things to attack him and hopefully prevent him from catching a couple of passes.”
The No. 25 honoring Curtis was placed the day before Fresno State and Washington met to open the 2004 season. Then a sophomore, Paul Williams had a 43-yard reception in Fresno State’s 35-16 romp over the Huskies.