The first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring is facing the fight of his life – grappling with a major health scare and the pain of losing his wife.
Jesse Williams, who was a member of the Seattle Seahawks’ 2014 championship squad and is known by fans as ‘ThaMonstar’, has told Daily Mail of the horrifying moment he suffered a heart attack while hiking alone in Queensland recently.
The health crisis comes as Williams remains estranged from his wife and the mother of his daughter, Australian rugby 7s star Tanisha Williams, whom he is desperate to win back.
On August 5, the 34-year-old – who lost a kidney to cancer a decade ago – had just finished scaling Mount Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains, 80km north of Brisbane, when he broke out in a cold sweat.
‘I was by myself, which is pretty regular for me, and I had just gone up [the mountain] and was coming back down, everything was all sweet,’ he said on Thursday.
But on the drive back to his Brisbane home, things took a frightening turn.
Former NFL star Jesse Williams’ estranged wife was by his side when he was hospitalised after suffering a heart attack. They are pictured with their daughter Bear
A proud father of two, Williams describes himself as ‘very hard to kill’ after his various health setbacks, which include suffering from kidney cancer
‘By the time I got to Caboolture, I was in a full sweat. Both arms [were] sort of tingling the whole way down and it felt like there was an F150 [pick-up truck] on my chest,’ Williams said.
In a panic, he called Tanisha, who has been living in Newcastle, NSW, since their split three months ago.
‘I called my wife and said, “I think I’m dying.” And she stayed on the phone with me until I got home… and called an ambulance,’ he said.
Doctors at Royal Brisbane Hospital quickly diagnosed a heart attack after blood tests showed sky-high levels of troponin, a protein that signals damage to the heart.
Williams underwent a battery of tests, including an angiogram and MRI. His blood pressure and cholesterol levels were within the normal range.
He spent a week in the coronary care unit, with Tanisha, their toddler daughter Bear, and his son Wolf from a previous relationship by his side.
Williams shared photos of the family vigil at his hospital bedside with the Daily Mail.
His troponin levels kept ‘climbing for four or five days’ – and since being discharged, he’s had two more scares, including his heart ‘freaking out’ when he bent down to pick up a towel at the gym.
Williams holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014
Williams often climbs Mount Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains with his son Wolf, 10
Williams is seen with Tanisha, Wolf and Bear. He is desperate to get his family back together
Thursday Island-born Williams – who played college football at the University of Alabama – says his heart is still functioning at just 35 per cent.
‘[The doctors] are not super pumped about it… I’m dealing [with] some heart failure,’ he said candidly, but insisted he was still physically fit and ‘training and moving’.
Diagnosed with Papillary Type 2 cancer in 2015 at just 24, Williams had a kidney removed – forcing his early retirement from the NFL and prompting his return to Australia to be closer to family.
While he said there were no warning signs for his heart attack, the ‘precursor’ was his kidney removal.
‘I’m a big guy at 6’5″ tall (195cm) so I am dealing with some pretty adverse effects.’
Despite everything, Williams says he is determined to ‘reach my full potential – and not die’.
He describes himself as ‘substantially hard to kill’ – a result of both his health battles and personal hardships over the years.
‘To be honest, just add [the heart attack] to the list,’ he said.
‘I’ve been going through it for a long time and it’s not in my personality to stop and feel sorry for myself. I look after my health, and I’ve been in therapy a long time.
‘I don’t shy away from the tough things and, if anything, I would like more people to see it.’
Williams played defensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks until cancer forced him into retirement at just 24
The towering defensive lineman was the first Indigenous Australian drafted into the NFL, after playing college football at Alabama
He’s focused not just on staying healthy – but on winning back Tanisha, whom he still sees regularly as they co-parent their daughter.
‘She is the only one keeping me six feet above the ground,’ he said.
‘We have a small baby, who is turning two in February. So I am putting it out into the universe to hopefully get back together.’
Williams admits thoughts of mortality weigh on him, but they pale in comparison to his desire to fix his marriage.
‘I would say getting back together is 100 per cent more important than [living] to me,’ he said. ‘She has probably kept me [alive] for the entire relationship.
‘Nothing bad happened – it wasn’t like, you know, drinking or gambling or anything like that. It was just more emotional wear and tear and stressful life situations. So I am just giving her time and grace to do the things she needs to do.’
Tanisha was by Williams’ side during his hospital stay in August, but did not wish to comment on this story or be pictured.
After being discharged, Williams posted on Instagram to thank his family – and ‘especially my wife for keeping me alive and locked in’.
Williams – who despite being injured during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory over the Denver Broncos was named on the championship squad – is focused on finding the next Australian talent to win a Super Bowl ring, after he and Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata accomplished the feat.
Williams is pictured swimming in Newcastle, where his estranged wife lives
Despite his heart only functioning at about 35 per cent since the attack, Williams is determined to remain active
Pictured: The Glass House Mountains, where Williams was hiking before his heart attack
Despite the turmoil of his personal life, Williams is flying back to the U.S. on Friday, where he’ll tour colleges in the South through his company, Elite Pacific Sports.
The business helps create pathways for Australian athletes into the American college system.
‘It helps develop and connect them to universities to to get Australian kids on scholarships to hopefully change their lives, like mine was changed,’ he said.
‘It is growing substantially from education and football… we’re working to create the opportunity for male and female athletes to get a degree and play in all sports.’
His first stop on the 20-day trip is Tennessee State University in Johnson City, with a return to Alabama also on the cards.
Williams’ cancer diagnosis forced him into early retirement from the NFL in 2015, when his former partner was pregnant with Wolf.
But he remains philosophical about the setback, which led to the removal of his kidney.
He returns to the American South, where he played for Alabama, this weekend
‘I never wanted to be defined by football. I’ve never been a big money guy and was never a celebrity type. My son was born a month after my surgery so I wanted more from life,’ he said.
Given his roller-coaster life, Williams jokes: ‘If I wrote a book, I don’t know if it would be in the sports section or the horror section.’
But he remains optimistic – about both his health and the future of his marriage.
‘If I woke up and thought about all the things the world has done wrong to me and felt sorry [for myself] about it, it would take a big chunk out of my day,’ he said.
‘But I’ve been through a lot of wild things and overcome them, so it’s just become part of my personality now. I don’t feel fragile in any shape for it.
‘I haven’t been scared since I was a kid so I’m not going to start today.’
