Sophomore quarterback DJ Williams played in his first game since tearing his ACL in the first game of last season, and the Racers won in his first game back.
Williams sustained his injury on the very last play of the first half against Texas Tech back in September of 2022. Up until his injury in that game, he had already passed for over 200 yards, and was on pace for a good individual game.
Not only was Williams on pace for a good game, but he was expected to have a big 2022 after winning OVC Freshman of the Year in 2021. He is looking to pick up right where he left off as the Murray State football team plays their first season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
“The knee is feeling great, I’ve rehabbed so hard that I’m ready for anything right now. I was honestly waiting to move around a little bit to see what I was able to do,” said DJ Williams when asked about how his knee was feeling going into the game. Williams proved that his mobility as a quarterback is as solid as ever by rolling out and getting away from the defense a fair amount.
“It felt so great to be back out there with my teammates, and I’m just happy to be playing the game I love again,” said Williams in the post game press conference. His comments made after the game praised his teammates for sticking with him through the injury and all of the other hardships that he has gone through in his career, and Williams says that he could not have gotten through it if it wasn’t for his family and his teammates being at his side through it all.
“DJ being back out there gave us confidence, and that was a big help. Him being back out there gets the guys excited,” said Murray State Head Coach Dean Hood in post game interviews. It’s plain to see that Williams being back isn’t just important to him, but it is important to everyone else around him to see him fight his way back onto the field after dealing with one of the hardest injuries to come back from in all of sports in an ACL tear.
Williams and the Racers will be back in action on Saturday, September 30 against the Sycamores of Indiana State for Family Weekend and what will be the Racers first game in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
