This refrain is getting familiar. Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams told 105.7 The Fan that he played all of last season with an injured shoulder.
He said the same thing following the 2011 season, which is when he suffered the original injury. Williams suffered nerve damage early in that season and played the rest of it with a harness, while turning in probably his worst campaign as a pro. Although he was noticeably better in coverage in 2012, Williams was a total liability against the run.
There was more than one occasion where Williams performed his best bullfighter (or Deion Sanders) routine as an opposing running back approached. Still, he insisted on playing despite his claim that the shoulder injury never fully healed, which is a very convenient excuse.
“I had some tears in my shoulder and I had nerve damage in my shoulder, and it was tough,” Williams said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “I only missed one game because of it, but it should have been one of those things to where I should have sat down for quite a few games. But at the same time, I haven’t been hurt at any point in my career. So you always want to be that guy who shows up and sends a message to your teammates like, ‘OK, this guy, he’s hurt but he’s out here for his teammates.’ And that’s what I wanted to show. I wanted to show that I could play through that and I did. I got through it. Everyone goes through adversity at some point in their career — that was one of my points, and I got through it.”
It amazes us that the Packers, who seemed overly-cautious with injuries in 2012, wouldn’t just force Tramon to sit out a game or two. Then again, maybe that wouldn’t have done the trick.
If there’s any good news here, Williams says he’ll maybe be back to full strength this year.
“Like I said, I had nerve damage, so that’s one thing that takes time. It could be a year, it could be two years to come back. And it’s made progress, but it’s still coming. So it’s one of those deals to where my shoulder’s still getting better at this point. I’m still working on it and hopefully it comes all the way back this year.”
We’ll commend Williams for playing through the injury. So many other guys would rather stand around on the sidelines these days. *Cough, Greg Jennings, cough, cough.*
That being said, at some point it’s probably better for the team if you pull yourself out, especially if you’re going to run the other direction when Adrian Peterson enters your field of view.
Williams better hope he’s back to 100 percent this season. The Packers have said there will be an open competition for the starting cornerback spots and Sam Shields and Casey Hayward appear poised to snag them.
Last updated on May 17th, 2015 at 12:42 pm
It looks like Heidi Montag and spencer pratt are ‘taking a break.’ Their engagement is off, and Heidi is going back to Colorado. This is really sad for Heidi and for all the Hills fans and for the entire state of Colorado.
You can watch Tramon’s tackling suddenly improve when his starting position is on the line come August.
First off, fans that are for Tramon departing need to wake the fuck up and realize that finding shut-down coverage guys is a hard thing to do. Did he struggle tackling, you bet but in this case I’m buying the player’s excuse and think he’ll undoubtedly do better tackling in space this upcoming season. He’s not a front 7 player and that’s the area we need to improve upon, not our coverage guys. Also, look at Adrian Peterson’s tape and you’ll find many, many players afraid or unwilling to have that freight train and the guy I now think is clearly the best RB of all time coming downhill at them. He (AP) is a modern day Jim Brown with more elite athleticism, speed and magical recovery abilities. It’s interesting that we could be looking at the most talented QB (Rodgers), RB (AP) and yes, WR (C.Johnson) in our division playing at the same time in history. And that these guys have a legit chance to be the greatest ever at their respective positions.
VJ, not sure you’ve ever been more on the money.
Until you have someone else in mind who is going to cover Megatron and Brandon Marshall, you might as well get off Tramon’s back.
I agree that the best QB, RB, and WR are all in the NFC North, and that talent-wise, those three may be among the best at their positions in NFL history.
AP is the best RB since Marshall Faulk, but he is no Barry Sanders in my mind.
Thats interesting Tramon Williams….Citing the fact he said before the 2012 he was 100% healthy and ready to go….I don’t know who i like the least, this excuse maker, or Finley….I say dump them both, dont tell me the Packers can’t find more productive use of 14 million in cap room than these 2 jag bags.
During Tramon’s recovery doctors told him it could take years for him to completely rebuild the nerve plexus in his shoulder (and fully regain strength). There are articles on this site that will corroborate this, it is not an excuse, it is an inexorable truth.
I don’t recall Tramon saying he was 100% healthy, he probably meant he was as healthy/ready as he could have been.
Looks like Monty is buying into Tramons injury excuse…..Here’s the problem?…When Tramon says he’s 100% healthy…..Then after the season, claims he was still injured from 2011…Which version do you believe Monty?…..One of them has to be b s.
By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel
March 7, 2013 | Many times last year, Packers CB Tramon Williams insisted the right shoulder injury he suffered in the season opener of the 2011 season was fine and allowing him to play the way he had before.
Send him on his way. How many years do we intend to pay an injured cornerback 8 million a year? Oh…he won a courage award last year? Fuck all that. I saw him run the opposite way too many times. I was a big fan of Tramon for several years but too many questions and too much money.
People… do you really think that before the 2012 season Willaims would say to all opposing Wide Recievers… “Hey I have shoudler injury. I’m not 100%. Please, PLEASE, don’t take adavantage of that. Thanks!”
Yea… no. He did what all NFL players do… he lies (often at the request of the team). The Patriots are masters of this strategy.
I feel for the guy… I have nerve damage… still not 100% after two and half years. Nerves grow back very VERY slowly.
Under your theory….Now he’s telling opposing wide receivers he’s still hurt..Isn’t that telling them he isnt 100%?…That makes a lot of sense Sean.
Have you never heard of mind games?
yea, I feel for the guy also…..He made 13 million the last 2 years playing shit football….Tough life.
Hey!!!!….i have an idea, lets keep him around and pay him 7.3 million this season.
Iv’e been a detriment to the team. Because i’m still hurt. Obviously i have no interest in tackling. Just keep sending me those game checks_____Tramon Williams
Tramon is still feeling the lingering effects of that bad case of “contractitis” that he got in 2011.
It’s characterized by really shitty play following the execution of a huge contract. Probably the worst case we’ve ever seen was Albert Haynesworth.