NEW ORLEANS – When Milton Williams woke up on Saturday, he couldn’t stop sweating. The Patriots defensive tackle felt cold. By the time he landed in New Orleans, his fever had surpassed 100 degrees, and the team medical staff gave him an IV.
As it turned out, it’s going to take more than that to keep this veteran off the football field.
The 26-year-old didn’t let it deter him and played throughout the team’s 25-19 win over the New Orleans Saints.
“If I can get out there. I’m going to get out there,” Williams told MassLive. “I’d have to have something really serious for me not to get out on the field. Came here, got an IV, and put some food in my stomach. And tried to go out there and help the team win.”
On Sunday morning, the Patriots listed Williams as questionable with an illness. He said the symptoms came quickly on Saturday after practicing throughout the week. The defensive tackle felt the worst the day before the Patriots played.
By Sunday, he wasn’t 100 percent, but felt better.
“A slight fever. I was just drained. Body tired,” Williams said. “I didn’t know where that came from. I really had no energy (Saturday). Woke up (Sunday) morning, felt a little bit better, but I’m going to go out there.”
Williams made two tackles in the Patriots win. The team’s top free-agent signing left New Orleans feeling that better days were ahead for the team.
“I felt like we played all right. We can do a lot of things better, but we got the win,” Williams said. “It’s right there. It’s on the film. We’re close, but we’ve got to keep going, keep getting that chemistry right. Keep churning in the right direction.”
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