Seahawks’ Jesse Williams back at practice after cancer surgery

RENTON – Jesse Williams was back on the field Thursday, wearing a helmet and shoulder pads as he took part in his first practice since undergoing surgery a little over two months ago to remove a cancerous kidney.

Who could have imagined that?

Well, he did.

“Today was the day I pretty much kept in my mind the whole time after being in the hospital – first day back,” he said. “That’s what was driving me. So yeah, it was a big deal to get out there today.”

Williams, a defensive tackle who’s entering his third season with the Seahawks, was diagnosed in May with papillary type 2 cancer. He’s still awaiting word from doctors on whether he’s in remission, but he’s been medically cleared to play football. The Seahawks activated him from the non-football illness list and are easing him back into action. He stayed out of contact drills on Thursday and is wearing a pad over the area where his kidney was removed.

That Williams is practicing in any capacity is remarkable considering what he was going through earlier this offseason. Williams said the initial symptoms that led doctors to discover his cancer included urinating blood. Speaking with “Brock and Salk” on Friday, he also described how one day he was in so much pain that he passed out at his home. Teammate and neighbor Jordan Hill rushed to his house, picked him up off the kitchen floor and took him to the emergency room.

Then came the dreaded news from the doctors.

“It was rough. It’s really dragged out. They trickle the information very slowly, so it’s a tough process,” he said. “I was actually out with my family when I got the call. It’s not a nice call to get when you’re just hanging out.”

Trying his best to take the news in stride, Williams adhered to the 24-hour rule he had learned from his coach at Alabama, Nick Saban.

“Win or lose, we had 24 hours to do what we needed to do, but then we had work on Monday so we just forget everything and get back to work,” he said. “And I pretty much did that with everything I’ve had so far – cancer, knee injury. Anything that comes up, I’ve got 24 hours, I’ll deal with it and I’ll come back and I got work.”

The cancer diagnosis was the most serious setback in a career that has already experienced a few of them. Williams, a standout on Alabama’s national championship teams, fell to the fifth round of the 2013 draft largely because of concerns about his knees. He spent his first two seasons on injured reserve – not playing a single snap in the regular season – because of knee injuries.

“I had a pretty rough start already,” he said. “Hopefully getting rid of the bad kidney got rid of a bit of the bad luck I had as well.”

Williams called the situation “sort of a blessing in disguise,” explaining that the issues with his kidney were contributing to his knee problems. He said his knees feel better now.

Williams is still awaiting test results to determine the next step in his treatment. For now, he’s trying to work his way back into football shape. It’s probably not realistic to think that he could play in Seattle’s first preseason on Aug. 14. Then again, who could have imagined Williams being back on the practice field so soon after cancer surgery?

“I’ll play tomorrow if they let me,” he said. “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 OK 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.”