"Harry had made this team," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak told the Houston Chronicle a few days after his injury. "To go on that field and see him lying there ... I just thank the good Lord that he's going to be fine. I know we're all disappointed he won't be able to play, but that's not what's most important."
Williams underwent spinal surgery a few days later. He said that doctors took bones from the front and back of his hip to help fuse the cervical spine at levels C-2 through C-4. Surgery was followed by months of strenuous rehab and he still has complications from the injury. Williams said he can't run full speed, his left side is often numb and he's still bothered by sharp pains shooting through his body.
The physical discomforts eventually proved easier to handle than the emotions of a playing career ending much too early.
"I was mad at football for a minute," Williams said. "It hurt me so bad so I tried to get away from it a little bit to see where I wanted to go in life."
His first step was enrolling at Prairie View A&M to finish requirements for an electrical engineering degree. His days in football, Williams figured, were over. But that changed when he stopped by to watch spring practice between classes at Prairie View and quickly learned how much he missed the sport.
His goal now, other than getting his degree, is finding a way into coaching. He's working with the Texans this summer, at least through training camp, and hopes that turns into a full-time position. If not, Prairie View head coach Henry Frazier III has offered Williams a spot on the staff as a graduate assistant.