Now that he can see clearly again Larry Doby Jersey , Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams is ready to resume his lucrative NFL career.
Williams has an eye disease called keratoconus, a degenerative disorder which warps the corneas and can potentially cause blindness if left untreated.
"It started to hinder my seeing the board when we went over plays, so I had to get it fixed," Williams said. "Once it starts messing with your craft, your career, you definitely have to put your attention on that before you do anything else."
The condition is rare, and there is no cure. But it can be controlled by surgery.
"I was scared," Williams acknowledged, "but also relieved that there was a treatment out there that could help me."
The procedure is called cross-linking, which limits the progression of the disease by strengthening the corneas. Williams had surgery on his more troublesome left eye before the 2017 season and had the right eye corrected earlier this month.
And now, the 340-pounder is eager to do his part to help the Ravens get back into the playoffs after a three-year absence.
"I can do everything I used to do," Williams declared. "Nothing is stopping me."
That's good news for the Ravens, who gave Williams a five-year, $52.5 million contract last year. Selected out of Missouri Southern State in the third round of the 2013 draft, the 29-year-old has been a vital cog in a Baltimore defense built first to stop the run.
Williams missed four games with a foot injury last year. The Ravens went 1-3 without him and 8-4 when he was in the lineup.
"He's the main piece for our defense," Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said.
Rajesh K. Rajpal Authentic Patrik Laine Jersey , M.D., founder of See Clearly Vision Group in Virginia and an expert on laser eye surgery, performed both operations on Williams' eyes.
"It almost always affects both eyes 鈥?98 to 99 percent of the time 鈥?but usually one eye will be more severe," Rajpal said. "Now that both eyes are done, Brandon should be fine. But we will continue to monitor him to make sure it doesn't get worse."
Williams wears contact lenses to aid his vision, but removes them on game days.
"In his case, the lenses he's using allow him to function well enough in day-to-day activities," Rajpal said. "During the football season, he plays without the lens because he doesn't want to take a chance of getting something beneath the lens and damaging his eye. That's OK, because he's doing things up close and a lot of it is about feel."
Rajpal added: "A baseball pitcher or a batter, it would be really tough for them to function without the contact lenses if they have this condition."
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham has undergone cross-linking and wears contact lenses on the field.
When Williams first experienced blurry vision, he figured he needed LASIK surgery. But Rajpal says LASIK would actually further thin the cornea.
"When we're doing the testing for LASIK, we do corneal topography, which maps the corneal curvature," Rajpal said. "If keratoconus is significant enough, we offer the cross-linking."
If left untreated Authentic Kenny Young Jersey , the disease can be dangerous.
"Then we have to a corneal transplant," Rajpal said. "Fortunately, the vast majority don't completely lose their vision."
Williams nevertheless knows he avoided a potentially life-changing situation.
"I am thankful for having my sight," he said. Then, with a chuckle, he added, "I don't have to be blind, so that's a plus."
Miami Dolphins players wonder whether Kris Kocurek's voice will give out, and perhaps they wish it would.
Kocurek is in his first year as the defensive line coach, and he operates with high expectations at high energy and volume.
"I've got to watch where I stand on the field with him," defensive coordinator Matt Burke said following Thursday's practice. "Sometimes he's right there, and I get an earful. ... People think it's an act, and it's not. That's just who he is."
Not everything Kocurek shouts can be repeated, but the thrust is he's trying to turn around a unit that underachieved last year when the Dolphins went 6-10.
"I'll just say this: I have a passion for d-line play," said Kocurek, with a rasp.
Coach Adam Gase lured Kocurek out of Detroit Authentic Pernell McPhee Jersey , where he had been the Lion' defensive line coach. Kocurek joined the Dolphins shortly before five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh departed, but Gase still believes his front four will be better this year.
"Kris has done a really good job of getting to those guys," Gase said. "They bring it. How they pursue the ball, get back to the line of scrimmage, go to the next play 鈥?there's a lot of energy exerted on one play, and they just move on to the next one. He has developed them. That's a tough group. They're really trending in the right direction."
While Kocurek can be hard on his players, he also knows how hard the game can be. The 39-year-old Texas native played at Texas Tech, and after he was drafted in the seventh round, his NFL career lasted one game and four snaps 鈥?for Tennessee in 2001.
"It was a goal-line situation," he said. "They stuck me in there, and I just tried to get as low as I could. We actually held them out of there."
After a fifth shoulder operation ended his career, he turned to coaching and reached the NFL as a Lions assistant in 2009. When Detroit coach Jim Caldwell was fired in January, Kocurek came to Miami.
"I had the same office for nine years, and all of a sudden you get thrown into a little bit different environment," he said. "But it has been great. I look forward to cranking my truck in the morning and getting to work as fast as I can."
He's working with perhaps the team's deepest unit. While Suh is gone, Miami acquired two-time Pro Bowl end Robert Quinn. Holdovers include ends Cameron Wake Cheap Kentavius Street Jersey , Andre Branch and Charles Harris, and tackles Jordan Phillips, Vincent Taylor and Davon Godchaux.
Kocurek yells at all of them.
"He's high energy," Branch said, "so you have no choice but to be high energy."
Burke said Kocurek's passionate approach is a good match for the area he coaches.
"People might get mad at me for saying this: I think the bigger you get, the more motivated you've got to get from somebody externally," Burke said. "With that group, it takes a little extra yelling and pushing."
Wake, for one, loves Kocurek's approach.
"He's a guy that's old school, hard-nosed," Wake said. "He's demanding. He doesn't bite he tongue. He tells you how it is. ... I love it. It's a man's game and there is no room for softness, especially the d-line. This is not quarterbacks, this is not receivers."
But will Kocurek's voice make it through training camp?
"No," Wake said. "It has already taken a hit. He's going to have to get some tea or some honey."
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