Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has served his two-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy. He was reinstated on Monday, and speaking to the media that day head coach Dan Campbell expects him to seamlessly come back to the full fold.
All Williams couldn't do during his suspension was practice and play. Since he didn't drop the appeal of his suspension until Thursday of the week before Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans he only really missed on full week of practice.
"He’s been here. He couldn’t be out there in practice, but he was training,” Campbell said on Monday. “We had him running, he’s in the meetings, all of that. So, he’s really been here, and honestly, we’re throwing him back in there. … We’re going to kick him out there with the offense and get him going and I expect him to be ready to roll.”
Jameson Williams ready to move on after latest suspension
Last week, Williams was in the headlines again for a less-than-ideal reason when it was reported Detroit police is investigating its process during a gun-related incident involving him on Oct, 8.
Speaking to reporters in the Lions' locker room on Wednesday, Williams didn't elaborate on the reason for his suspension and he said he "can't speak on" the gun-related incident.
"What have I learned? Just to be smarter, I guess,” Williams said. “Be a bigger person in certain situations and things like that.”
“I'm good, you know?” he said. “It was just two weeks. I've been suspended before. I don't really look at that as like a good thing or something to brag about, but I had to miss time before. I have always been the same person. It don't change me. Never will change me.”
Williams also feels he can't change what people's perception of him.
"I don't really want to address those types of things,” Williams said. “I figure people already have their own types of views and stuff like that. I'm just going to stay away from talking about those things...I wouldn't really say I have a message (to fans). People view me how they view me. I'm my own person and things like that. I wouldn't say I have a message."
Campbell has defended and professed faith in Williams, and Williams noticed.
"It means a lot. That's my head coach. I've been through a lot playing under him," Williams said. "We've been through, we've bumped heads in certain situations, but now I see his faith in me and all. He understands what happened and things like that. So, it's big to me, him having faith in me and being along with me in those situations."
The two-game suspension knocked a breakout season for Williams off-course. Through six games he has already set a career-highs in receiving yards (361) and touchdowns (three), while averaging 21.2 yards per catch (second in the league).
The Lions offense got it done without Williams, albeit in a game that was unique then a game in bad weather, but the type of big play element only he can offer will be welcomed back. Based on his comments Wednesday, he's clearly ready to move forward with the support of everyone around him at Allen Park.