Williams will miss extended time with neck injury

Williams pointed to the sky as he left Death Valley on Saturday.

by Tony Crumpton - Assoc. Editor - Sun Sep 06 18:11:02 GMT-04:00 2015

Clemson junior wide receiver Mike Williams Mike Williams
Jr. Wide Receiver
#7 6-4, 213
Vance, SC
View Full Profile suffered a neck injury as he hit a padded goalpost while scoring a four-yard touchdown in the first quarter vs. Wofford on Saturday.

Williams remained down for several minutes, tended to by the medical staff and then was strapped down on a board and carted off. Williams was moving his arms and pointed to the sky as he exited the field. He was taken to Oconee Hospital in Seneca for observations and to run tests.

Head coach Dabo Swinney talked to the media during his weekly teleconference on Sunday night and discussed the severity of the injury for his gifted receiver.

"Got MRI back last night and they are saying he has a small fracture in his neck area," Swinney said. "He is doing great. He is walking around and has great movement. He is going to class tomorrow. Really fortunate it wasn't worse. Obviously any time you got an injury in that area you are talking about a real serious thing. I can't say enough good things about our medical staff. I mean they really did a great job. Mike was wanting to get up and walk off the field yesterday, but our medical staff did a really, really good job of just being precautious and let's make sure. And sure enough on the MRI he has a small fracture that is going to heal up nice.

Swinney thinks that Williams will make a full recovery and be able to play football again.

"The prognosis is great for him," Swinney said. "We are just lucky it wasn't worse. He is going to have an opportunity to play football again. But when that is I have no idea. Anytime someone breaks a bone you have to reevaluate those things. In about six weeks or so they will look at it, but it could be something that keeps him out all year. I really have no idea, but the main thing to me is he is ok. He will have an opportunity to play again whenever that is I have no idea."

Swinney said no surgery will be required, but it will take time to heal.

"No you don't do anything," Swinney said. "He has just got to wear a brace. It's just got to heal. Just wear a neck brace and that is all you can do. It's in an area that should heal up nicely. Everybody is very confident about everything that the doctors have said. He didn't sleep good last night, having to sleep with the brace for the first time, but he will get used to it. Like I said he will be in class tomorrow, moving around doing what he needs to do. If it was in his arm you would just throw a cast on it and just kind of forget about it. But when it is in your neck and you got to wear a neck brace. That's a little more cumbersome. It's just got to stay still so it can heal properly."

Williams had 1,030 receiving yards and 6 TDs last season and 77 catches for 1,346 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.

In other injury news, offensive lineman Ryan Norton left the first half against Wofford with a leg injury but was fortunately unscathed from a serious injury. Swinney said they may hold him out of Monday's practice but that is all.

Mike Williams