7:35 PM ET
Eric WoodyardESPN
DETROIT -- Rookie receiver Jameson Williams reported to Detroit Lions signifier for the archetypal clip this week past dropped a dime connected the Motor City assemblage connected the eve of the team's Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Buffalo Bills.
The Lions' 12th wide prime popped up astatine the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) office to administer turkeys and acquisition cards to 100 section families connected Wednesday. Although Williams has yet to suit up successful an NFL crippled portion recovering from a torn ACL helium suffered astatine Alabama successful January, helium was eagerly anticipating the accidental to springiness back.
"I wanted to get retired and get a accidental to get successful this assemblage to speech to folks, pass with folks and fto them cognize I'm for the radical really," Williams told ESPN.
Williams was joined by galore household members, including some parents, James and Tianna Williams. They've assisted him passim the full rehabilitation process and were close by his broadside for his archetypal vacation event. They're hoping it'll go a household tradition.
"It's conscionable cleanable for him to travel to the metropolis and assistance the city," James said. "It's amended to commencement disconnected helping."
"Family ... can't thing interruption that bond," Tianna added.
As the Lions are successful the midst of their archetypal three-game triumph streak since 2017, the squad hopes that Williams tin lend instantly erstwhile he's cleared.
On his archetypal time backmost Monday, helium ran the passing histrion routes with signifier squad backmost Tim Boyle aft the squad walkthrough. Boyle near the signifier tract arsenic a believer successful his ability.
"Very creaseless and highly fast. Really bully successful and retired of breaks, ran truly crisp routes," Boyle said of Williams. "It was decidedly bully to spot him. You could archer helium was excited to beryllium backmost retired there. He was benignant of holding backmost his small smirk."
The Lions inactive haven't acceptable a steadfast day for his return, but caput manager Dan Campbell anticipates it happening sometime aft the Thanksgiving game.
When Williams does deed the field, he'll beryllium rocking erstwhile Lions backmost Matthew Stafford's aged No. 9 successful Detroit. He contacted the existent Los Angeles Rams backmost earlier selecting the number, who gave him his blessings, with the response, "that 9 would beryllium moving a batch faster than connected the field."
Through assemblage events similar the PAL nutrient giveaway, and perchance precocious accumulation connected the field, Williams is hoping to make his ain bequest successful Detroit erstwhile he's yet capable to play.
"The 9 is simply a legendary fig for Detroit, but nary disrespect, I truly privation to instrumentality implicit that legacy," Williams said. "I privation the 9 to beryllium remembered due to the fact that of maine and what I did for Detroit."
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