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Mykel Williams claims he played at ‘less than 60%’ health during 2024 campaign
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Mykel Williams opened the 2024 season with a bang for Georgia and was a key defender for the Bulldogs throughout their SEC Championship run. Unfortunately, he battled a lingering ankle injury all season long, and he revealed how significant that ailment was on Wednesday.
In the season-opening rout of Clemson, Williams had 2 TFL for another dominant Georgia defense under Kirby Smart but sustained an ankle injury. He would still be impactful throughout the season (he finished with 8.5 TFL and 5 sacks), but he was not 100% again for the rest of the season.
While meeting with media members at the NFL Combine, Williams revealed he operated below 60% following his injury but still managed to play in 12 of the 14 games. He also claimed he was unable to practice until the week of the Texas game. The matchup vs. the Longhorns occurred in the 3rd week of October.
“It lingered the whole year, I never was healthy,” said Williams. “I reinjured it multiple times throughout the year. I didn’t practice until the Texas game. I was messed up pretty bad… attending meetings and going to treatment. After meetings, I was going to treatment trying to rehab my ankle the whole practice.”
Williams was later asked at what percentage he felt he was at for the year, and he responded with “less than 70%, less than 60%.”
That’s quite the revelation for Georgia Bulldogs news, especially for a player who had a pair of multi-sack games, both vs. Texas. Williams wrapped up his Georgia career with 23 TFL and 14 sacks, including 4.5 sacks for Georgia’s 2022 national championship team.
As for his future plans, Williams indicated he will not do most of the drills or workouts at the NFL Combine, saving those items for his pro day. He indicated he wanted to use the first few weeks after the season to get back to full health, putting a brief delay on his pre-draft planning routine.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
