Marcus Williams missed just four games during his five years in New Orleans. During his two seasons in Baltimore, he's been forced out of 12 games.
Williams suffered a dislocated wrist last season that sidelined him for seven games. This year, a pectoral injury in the season-opener threatened to end his season. But after sitting out three games, he returned only to suffer a hamstring injury that put him back on the shelf.
But when Williams was asked about how frustrating the injuries must be, he interrupted the reporter's question.
"Not frustrating," he said. "It is what it is. I've faced adversity my whole life and I'm going to face adversity in the future. I'm going to keep pushing through.
"I feel great. Stuff happens all the time, but we have good guys who come in and do a great job. Me going down is not a problem when we have guys like that in the locker room."
Williams returned to the practice field Wednesday, giving hope to the possibility that he can return for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Facing a dangerous duo of wide receivers, the Ravens would love to have their ball-hawking free safety back.
However, the Ravens also now have a good problem on their hands. When Williams returns to game action, what happens with Geno Stone, who leads the league with five interceptions? With Kyle Hamilton also playing 100% of the snaps, the Ravens could go back to more three-safety looks. However, they have plenty of depth and have been pleased with the cornerbacks' play, too.
That's not Williams' decision, but he has been impressed by the work his replacement has done.
"He's playing amazing," Williams said of Stone. "He comes to work every day locked in and he's hungry. I'm proud of all his progress and everything he's done this year and I hope he continues that."
Williams didn't shed much light on how he's doing physically. When asked if he's going to have to manage pain from the injuries for some time, he said, "I'm just going to keep getting better." Asked how he feels, he responded "good" and asked if he's going to play Sunday, Williams said "we'll see what happens."
What's been crystal clear, however, is Williams' desire to play the game. He opted against having surgery and returned when he was still clearly physically limited from the pectoral injury. Now he's trying to come back again after being out for just two weeks with the hamstring injury.
"I've always had a strong mentality," Williams said. "I've always seen stuff happen in life that's worse than my situation. I always continue to be positive and optimistic because I know I will be back and it's not the end. I'll come back better than I was before.
"My mentality is to be the best and the only way I can do that is being on the field. I'll continue to keep my health up after that."
