RB Joe Williams rejoins Utah after ending brief retirement

Joe Williams’ retirement lasted 27 days.

The former Utah running back returned to practice Tuesday less than a month after telling coaches and media he was leaving the team because of increased injuries and a lack of desire for playing. However, Utah’s depleted running back depth convinced the Utes and Williams they might need to give their relationship another shot.

Coach Kyle Whittingham said barring any sort of setback Williams would play this weekend against Oregon State.

“It’s a day-by-day thing, and if he looks good, if everything goes well, he’ll play on Saturday,” Whittingham said. “If we have a reason that we think that’s not in his or our best interest, then we won’t do that.”

Quite frankly, the Utes have no choice but to use Williams this weekend simply because the Utes might not have anyone else. Sophomore Armand Shyne tore his ACL last week against Arizona and was lost for the season. Junior Troy McCormick and freshman Zack Moss were both injured at Cal and did not dress against the Wildcats. Walk-on Jordan Howard was injured late against the Wildcats and isn’t available against the Beavers.

Williams was the team’s leading returning rusher coming into the season, but through two games he’d gained only 75 yards and lost two fumbles.

“Knowing how my body’s been these past couple months, where I’m at mentally and physically, I’m not at the point where I can compete at the level I need to for the team and everybody,” Williams said at the time of his retirement.

However, he had been following the Utes injury woes and when Whittingham reached out to him, he didn’t hesitate to get back in the fold.

“We reached out to him, and said, ‘Hey, here’s our predicament,'” Whittingham said. “And he knew it. He’s been at the games following us. So he said, ‘Hey, if I can come back and help this football team, I’m all in.’ So it wasn’t a long discussion, it was very brief. He’s excited to be back.”

Running backs coach Dennis Erickson said Williams’ first practice was “OK” and that his fitness was good. More importantly, Williams’ teammates appeared to welcome him back to the squad.

“No issue at all. Not one issue,” Erickson said of Williams’ return. “That’s something obviously you think about. No question about it. Not just with our room, but every room. Our football team accepted him back with open arms. And they know he wants to help, and they want to help him be successful in my eyes.”

For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday