Former Steelers RB Karlos Williams dealing with much bigger concerns than football

A series of events occurred which seemed logical and most thought would work out, but in the end it simply wasn’t the case.

The Buffalo Bills drafted Karlos Williams, brother of Vince Williams, and the former Florida State running back was a touchdown machine for the Bills. Then the offseason came and he was slapped with a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

The Bills released Williams and it was the Pittsburgh Steelers who decided to give him another chance. After all, reuniting with his brother Vince would be the perfect fit for him to thrive in the NFL. Nonetheless, it wasn’t meant to be. After another violation of the substance abuse policy, the Steelers also decided to cut ties with the running back.

Many had to wonder what went wrong and why someone could make such a series of mistakes to severely hamper Williams’ career, but thanks to a recent article in Tallahassee Democrat, it came to light that Williams has a lot more on his mind than just football these days.

As reported, Williams son, an 11-month-old, was recently diagnosed with a rare disease called Hirschsprung's. The disease stems from missing nerve cells in the colon muscles. Children with the disease typically suffer from a swollen stomach, severe digestive problems, fatigue and lots of sleepless nights.

Per the article, “An estimated one in 5,000 babies born in the U.S. is diagnosed with the disease, according to tracking and research by the Minnesota Department of Health. The disorder is congenital — but in this case, it wasn't diagnosed until he was 10 months old.”

"It's been tough being the parent — a young parent, at that ... it's kind of tough watching your baby struggle to do simple things such as going to the bathroom," Karlos Williams told Nada Hassanein.

It is clear how Williams’ mind might have been elsewhere during his attempt to come back to the NFL. Now, he has to try and find care for his son, all while trying to resurrect his career.

A family member started a GoFundMe fundraiser for the family. As of last week, they had raised $2,235 toward a $10,000 goal. Funds would help with expenses not covered by insurance, Hall said, and also for her parents’ food, gas and hotel costs.