Australian NFL player Jesse Williams has vowed to win his latest “battle” after the 24-year-old was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer. The Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle will undergo kidney surgery before setting out on his path to recovery, the club announced.
“Although disappointing, I am a fighter and will handle this,” Williams said in a club statement. “I am going to focus on my health and fighting this battle with a return to football as my ultimate goal. Thank you for your thoughts and support.”
Williams, who grew up in Brisbane, moved to the US in 2009 to enrol in the American college system, where he stood out first for Arizona Western and then for the University of Alabama. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, but has yet to make his professional debut following a series of knee injuries since his recruitment by Seattle.
Nevertheless, last year, he became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring following the Seahawks’ win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider gave his and the club’s full backing to Williams as the Queenslander undergoes treatment.
“Jesse is an extraordinarily tough individual who has overcome a great deal in his life and we will support him in any way possible,” he said. “He is in our thoughts and prayers.”
Papillary cancer is a rare type of renal cell carcinoma, which make up about nine out of 10 kidney cancers. Type 2 papillary tumours are generally more aggressive than type 1 and may follow an unpredictable growth pattern.
