At first he felt some pain then his body started to go numb – Mike Williams did not know what was going on.

Seconds before, Clemson’s star wide receiver had just caught the Tigers’ first touchdown of the season, a bullet thrown by Deshaun Watson in the back of the end zone against Wofford. But when he caught the ball, Williams did not realize he was that close to the goal post as he slammed into it causing his head to bounce off the side of the protective padding.

“When the injury happened, I knew it was something because my body went numb,” Williams said on Friday, the first time he has spoken to the media since breaking a bone in his neck in the Tigers’ season-opening win over Wofford. “I felt some pain, and then after a while I started to feel my body again.

“I told the trainers I wanted to get up and walk off the field, but I was feeling kind of weird so they decided they were not going to take any chances so they brought the board out.”

On the way to the hospital Williams and his mother prayed nothing was too serious. Though he got some good news in the fact the injury turned out to be a small break that would heal completely, it was still disappointing at the same time.

Williams was told the break might take two to three months to completely heal and the odds of him playing football again in 2015 were slim at best. It was a hard pill to swallow for a guy who was projected to become an All-American on one of the best teams in the country.

“It was crazy. In the off-season, I worked so hard and had goals set for the season,” Williams said. “Then on the first drive in the first game of the season, it just ended that quickly. It hurt a lot, but now I’m back. I’m getting in shape and I’m working even harder.”

After meeting with a specialist every other week, Williams got a pretty good idea the possibility of coming back this season was probably not in the cards.

“I just went on ahead and said I was going to sit the year out, and just be hundred percent next year,” the junior said.

Williams said he will be ready to go by the time the Tigers begin spring workouts in March. He says he will ease his way back into things because everyone knows what he can do.

“There is no need to go in there and take licks and all of that,” he said. “I will just go in there and do a lot of individual drills with the team.”

The hardest part of the injury to except for Williams is not being able to be a part of the Tigers’ special season. Though he is there, and he has enjoyed watching his teammates have such a great year, he misses not being able to contribute.

“I want to make some plays out there and be a part of it,” he said. “But, I’m sitting on the sideline and trying to be a role model for the young guys like Deon Cain and Ray Ray McCloud. I’m taking on some leadership and telling them I see this on the field and you should do this and you should do that.

“I’m just helping the coaches out on the sideline.”

Williams knows he still has a long way to go before he can get back on the field. He started running a few weeks back and he trying to get his body back in football shape. He knows the process will not be easy, but the fact his head coach and his teammates think some much about him, and have proven how much they care about him, he is driven to come back and prove he is still one of the best wide receivers in the country.

“If you want to be the best, you have to understand there is someone out there trying to work harder than you so you have to work harder than them. That is the mindset I have right now,” Williams said. “I’m trying to be the best receiver next year.”

The best day through the whole ordeal, says Williams, was the day in which he got to take off the neck brace. He said it was very uncomfortable, especially when he tried to lie down at night. There was also the fact that it stuck out like a sore thumb.

“It was aggravating. Everyone saw me around campus and kind of knew who I was,” he said. “I was the only person on campus with a neck brace. I mean it was crazy, but once I got it off, it was one of the best days.”

And now even better days lie ahead.

“I’m really excited about next year. Sitting this whole year out, it was tough. But it is even going to be better from here, though,” he said.