Former Washington football player Curtis Williams, paralyzed in a game two years ago, died Monday at his brother’s home in Fresno, Calif.
Williams died from complications that arose from his paralysis. He turned 24 on Saturday.
“This has been a real tragedy, from that late October day until today when he passed away,” Husky coach Rick Neuheisel said in a release. “Although he was confined to a wheelchair, Curtis taught all of us associated with Husky football the true meaning of the word courage.”
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti sent his condolences to the Washington team in the form of a letter Monday afternoon, according to an Oregon Athletic Department official.
Williams was paralyzed from the neck down after the safety had a helmet-to-helmet hit with Stanford’s Kerry Carter in a game Oct. 28, 2000. He returned to Husky Stadium for the first time since his injury to witness Washington’s Spring Game on April 27.
“When Curtis came to campus two weeks ago, there were so many positives to look forward to,” Washington Athletic Director Barbara Hedges said. “I talked to him at the baseball game and at the Spring Game. He was very upbeat. He was thrilled to see his teammates and to meet with the academic services staff about completing his degree.”
Williams had been a source of inspiration for the Washington team since his injury. He attended the Huskies’ 2001 Rose Bowl victory and the team engraved “CW” into their Rose Bowl rings. Last season, the Huskies wore black “CW” patches to commemorate the former star.
“I will always admire Curtis for his tremendous courage and for inspiring all of us to learn to persevere in tough times,” Neuheisel said. “We always said that he was a warrior on the field. What we learned was that he was a warrior in life.”
After his injury, the Washington Athletic Department established the Curtis Williams Fund to raise money for ’round-the-clock care. The fund reached approximately $400,000 and will now be used to fund “The Curtis Williams Scholarship” at Washington.
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