Western Kentucky football offensive lineman Elijah Williams was carted off the field during the first quarter of the New Orleans Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Williams appeared to have sustained a lower left leg injury at the end of a run on second down where he got rolled up on by Hilltoppers running back La’Vell Wright. He immediately went down on the field at Caesars’ Superdome in New Orleans and was tended to by members of Western Kentucky’s medical staff. Williams had an air cast put on his left leg.
He was then carted off, where he was seen giving a thumbs-up to those inside the stadium. ESPN’s Ian Fitzsimmons mentioned on the broadcast during a second-quarter hit that Williams underwent X-rays in the stadium and sustained a lower-leg injury.
The 6-foot-2 redshirt freshman offensive lineman was moved into the starting center position on Western Kentucky’s offensive line for the New Orleans Bowl against Southern Miss, according to ESPN’s broadcast.
Here’s the latest on Williams:
Elijah Williams injury update
Williams sustained an apparent leg injury in the first quarter of the New Orleans Bowl after getting rolled up on during a run play. ESPN’s broadcast mentioned that he was talking to members of Western Kentucky’s staff as he was being tended to on the field.
Fitzsimmons mentioned on the ESPN broadcast that after speaking with Williams’ parents at the stadium, Williams was seen with both hands over his face coming out of the X-ray room and was in ‘a lot of pain.’
‘It’s a lower leg injury, meaning his left ankle, left foot are in an air cast. If they do take him to a hospital, it’ll be to University Medical Hospital, which is a Level 1 Trauma Facility that’s only 0.7 miles away here from the Superdome,’ Fitzsimmons said on the broadcast.
This story will be updated
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.