Jay Williams
Guard Jay Williams was easily one of the most decorated college basketball players since the turn of the century. The two-time All-American and National college player of the year in 2002 became the second overall player taken in the 2002 NBA Draft. Williams struggled with the adjustment from Duke University to the NBA during his rookie season, but did show flashes of brilliance as the all-around playmaker he was in Durham. But after his rookie season, Williams was riding his motorcycle, and crashed it into a streetlight. The injuries from the accident included a severed main nerve in his leg, fractured pelvis and three dislocated ligaments in his left knee including the ACL. He required physical therapy to regain the use of his leg. He tried to make a return to the NBA, but was never the same basketball player after the accident. Riding a motorcycle is not nearly the same thing as having an issue with abuse (something you’ll see a lot on the next few pages), but Williams put himself (and his career) in danger with a very bad decision.