While the chances of making it into the NFL or medical school are both vanishingly small, the odds never phased James Williams. A Harvard graduate, Williams made it onto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts before suffering a series of injuries that would end his football career. The son of a dentist and a critical-care surgeon, Williams has followed in his parents’ footsteps and entered the world of medicine by attending New York Medical College, where he is studying to be an orthopedic surgeon. We caught up with the multitalented doctor-in-training to see what lies ahead.
What first inspired you to help others through medicine?
I lived with my grandma until I was nine, and she had gallbladder cancer but wasn’t diagnosed yet. She was very weak and couldn’t walk or get herself to the bathroom. I was pretty small, but we had this really big wheelchair in the basement. So, I went down there and hauled it up myself, and then I got her in the wheelchair and took her to the bathroom. That was one of my first times really helping or assisting somebody in a medical way. Until [my grandmother] passed, she would always bring that up to my mom about how happy that made her.
Why orthopedic surgery?
Due to my injuries, I had to see the orthopedic surgery [staff] a lot at the Colts, and they planted that seed. The orthopedic surgeon for the Colts handled the diagnosis of my high ankle sprain. With my sports background, I feel that even if I don’t work for an NFL team, I could still work with people who are in sports, especially with my interest in body mechanics.
Why do you feel it is so important for there to be Black doctors?
A lot of my friends talk about how they were never exposed to any Black doctors growing up — it was like they didn’t know that there were Black doctors — and that can pigeonhole you into limiting yourself and what opportunities you believe you have. I also think it is important for more Black doctors to go through the process because they can help other people navigate and avoid mistakes… So, hopefully, I can be a mentor and help people with the process. I also think if people want to find a doctor who is Black, there should be that possibility. That’s why it’s important to have representation too, just so that people have a choice.
Any 2025 Super Bowl predictions?
I’ll say Chiefs and Eagles.
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