Tight end Maxx Williams was selected by his teammates as the 2022 Arizona Cardinals Ed Block Courage Award winner. Williams was having a career year in 2021 prior to suffering a devasting knee injury in October that ended his season and some thought could end his NFL playing career.
Instead of giving up, Williams attacked his complex and arduous rehabilitation process with the same positive attitude and approach he has every day around his teammates in the locker room. In addition to rehabbing the ACL reconstruction, Williams also had to deal with extensive nerve damage which made his path back to the field that much more complicated. He was a regular visitor to the Cardinals Training Center during the offseason and spent many grueling hours trying to get back on the field for his fourth season with Arizona. After not being expected to return until the start of the regular season, Williams’ hard work and perseverance paid off as he was cleared to return to practice during training camp and was on Arizona’s Week 1 active roster.
As part of his return to the field, Williams wears an orthosis to assist his ankle motion, allowing him to run and walk with a normal gait. Since suffering his gruesome injury last year, Williams complex path back to the field and the dedication he showed during his rehabilitation has been an inspiration to his Cardinals teammates and coaches. He is the true definition of what the Ed Block Courage Award is all about. The award is familiar to the Williams family as Maxx’s father, Brian, was selected as the Ed Block Courage award winner with the New York Giants in 1997.
