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Nikki Williams, WR: Back in the Game By Jordyn White “16 screws and two plates.” A conversation with DC Divas #88 Nikki Williams about her near career-ending ankle break sounds more like a lesson on welding than an injury report. But Nikki is grateful for every ounce of that metal, because it allowed her to keep doing what she does best—snatching speeding footballs out of thin air. What, though, would possess a woman to play such a physically demanding sport, even after needing that kind of hardware? Nikki asked herself that very question when she first started playing full-contact football eight seasons ago, and found her answer the moment she became a Diva.
A true athlete lives and breathes sports, and Nikki is no different; for years she spent her days teaching and her evenings coaching. In the last two decades Nikki has coached boys’ and girls’ middle and high school basketball, as well as girls’ softball. On the weekends she plays flag-football to satiate her own sports appetite. It was through flag that she heard about the women’s full-contact league. When she tried out in 2002 she had neither inhibitions or expectations; what she did have, though, was superior athleticism, knowledge of the game she loves, and the determination to excel at this sport like she had done at all her others. Nikki’s physique and skill set made her well suited for the wide receiver spot, and her addition to the team rounded out the Divas’ offense and set them apart in a league of predominantly run-heavy teams. Nikki developed amazing chemistry with her quarterback, Allyson Hamlin, and the results were evident come game time. 88 can’t remember her first catch in a Divas game, or even her first touchdown. The catches etched into her memory are the near impossible ones she has made throughout her career—the lay-outs, the fingertip grabs, and the completions she just barely eked out despite well-played opposition. Nikki is humble, however, and takes no individual credit for the team’s success—not even during their 2006 Championship run. But 88 says she had no doubt from the start that the team would have an amazing season after she saw the level of talent and the team’s overall commitment and chemistry. Ironically, this stellar athlete, teacher, coach, and part-time comedian (according to sources close to 88) is actually a woman of few words. But Nikki’s inherent leadership qualities were still apparent in her actions, both on and off the field. She was made a Divas captain and held the position for 5 seasons. Nikki says being a teacher and coach definitely helped her be a captain, and she was surprised how true the inverse was as well. 88 could easily apply her teaching and coaching experience to her role as football captain, but through her role on the Divas she also gained a new perspective on how she interacts with the children whose lives she molds daily; essentially, the teacher became the student. Being on the receiving end of firm direction showed her how important it is to lead by words as well as by example, to be consistent, and how important positive relationships are to a team’s success.
88’s initial thought was that her football career had ended in that very moment, and her first visit with the doctor didn’t do much to dissuade that. He told Nikki she had broken her ankle as bad as it could be broken. He did say that a comeback would not be impossible, but at 43, going into her eighth season, Nikki just didn’t know if she was up for that type of challenge. Better athletes and tougher competition had already made each season more physically taxing…and after suffering this grave of an injury, Nikki considered hanging it up for good. But leaving the sport would mean leaving the northern family she had come to know and love for almost a decade. 88 felt greatly compelled to express her gratitude for all the love and support the Divas showed during her injury, and in her mind the best way to do that was to remain an active member of the Diva family. After surgery, a handful of ankle hardware, six weeks of post-surgical physical therapy, months of preseason practice, and several rounds of ice and ibuprofen, Nikki was finally ready to return for the 2009 season. Her comeback was a success, but her ankle was unrelenting, and by the end of the season she was ready to hang up her cleats for good. Nikki went from footballer to fan in 2010, and cheered her once-teammates on from the sidelines in plain clothes. When 2011 approached, however, the “healing itch” grew too strong for her to resist, and 88, with renewed confidence and two healthy legs, showed up to Diva tryouts. Nikki’s determination and dedication epitomized Diva mentality, though she would assert that she was just doing what Divas do. Nikki’s answer to the question “Why do you play?” has a short but profound answer: “...for the love of the game, for the Diva family, and for Diva pride.”  |
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Sports
have always been a passion for Nikki, who grew up in a family of athletes.
She spent her childhood in Deland, FL playing basketball and running track
events like the 800, 4x100 and the mile medley. Then in 1984, Nikki moved
up north to get her degree in Education, and afterwards she stayed to
teach Physical Education at a Maryland elementary school.
Nikki’s
football world was shaken up in the 2008 post-season. Like every year
before, Nikki took a few months to rest after the contact season and then
played flag to stay fit and prepare herself for the year to come. Last
November, in a tournament, Nikki lunged to make a tricky catch, and instead
of grabbing her flag, the defender caught on to Nikki’s leg. Nikki
hit the ground, and the cornerback landed on top of her, fracturing Nikki’s
ankle in three places.