The New York Jets’ linebacker Quincy Williams and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams are among the rare brothers’ duo in the NFL who are still able to hold their legacy at the same time with the same team. The duo started their NFL journey in 2019, Quinnen with the Jets, and Quincy with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The astonishing feat is often touted as a result of a good family upbringing with a sad story featuring the early death of their mother. Though the time was very difficult for Quinnen Williams as he recently stated, he did not let himself get lost in the riddle of life.
What type of cancer did Quinnen Williams’ mother have?
Mother of the Williams duo, Marquischa Henderson Williams passed away in 2010 at the age of 37 due to breast cancer. The defensive tackle was still a middle school student at the time, and at that young age, Quinnen and his three siblings Quincy Jr., Giovanni, and Ciele had to adjust to living without their mother, being under the wings of their father, Quincy Sr.
The 27-year-old DT still holds a special place in his heart for his mother and honors her with a tattoo on his chest that features pink stars and a breast cancer awareness sign. Quincy and Quinen astounded the NFL world by retaining their discipline and persevering strongly on a challenging career path, despite losing their mother at such a young age.
During a pre-draft interview in 2019, Quinnen Williams paid tribute to his mother for providing the duo with an excellent foundation that allowed them to pursue the ‘appropriate’ career route while serving as a support system for others.
“The people around me and knowing that my mom wouldn’t want me to go left. Just knowing the things she taught me… I will always live by that and be that person, on the field, off the field, millionaire or no millionaire, I’ll be that same smiling person.”
This season, the New York Jets squad extended the contracts of the William brothers, giving the linebacker a three-year, $18 million contract and the defensive tackle a four-year, $96 million contract.
Quinnen Williams sends an emotional message
The Jets defensive tackle, who was once referred to as “momma’s boy” due to his tight relationship with his mother, still seems to possess a great deal of respect and affection for her. In a recent interview, Quinnen reopened and expressed his sorrow and grief over the passing of his mother.
#Jets DT Quinnen Williams recently opened up about losing his mother to cancer when he was a child.
"It was an hard moment."
"It was painful during that time, to lose a best friend."
"The way I live my life is to make her proud." ❤🙏
(@Realrclark25)pic.twitter.com/0V3nYVw7cD
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 30, 2023
“It was a hard moment man. It was definitely painful during that time to lose a best friend, to lose somebody who you know that had your back and somebody who you know that was going to raise you up to be a phenomenal person.”
Going through the loss of one’s mother at such a young age and coping with all the events that follow is not usually an easy task. But the Williams siblings have managed to somewhat maintain their resolve which could serve as motivation for many.
