Safety Deontai Williams injured his shoulder in the 2019 season opener vs. South Alabama and then had season-ending surgery the next day.

It would end up being a bigger blow to Nebraska's defense than anyone could have thought.

When the junior college transfer arrived in Lincoln a year earlier, Williams only started one game but took full advantage of the snaps he got in his first season as a Husker.

With an overall grade of 91.3, Williams was the highest-rated safety in the Big Ten per PFF College and earned a spot on the outlet's All-Big Ten team as a result. Even more, PFF listed Williams as an honorable mention All-American.

But Nebraska never got to see what the Jacksonville, Fla., native could do as a full-time starter, and the ripple effect his injury had on the entire defense became more noticeable by the week.

"When he got injured, I thought he was playing as good a football as anybody on the defense, for sure," NU defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said. "That hurt us a lot just because of his play... Having to move guys around and losing a really good player hurt."

While Nebraska's return to the field is currently in limbo due to the COVID-19 situation, Williams proved he was back and as good as ever during the team's first two spring practices prior to the abrupt postponements and cancellations of sports across the country.

"Having him back is awesome," Chinander said. "He got out there like riding a bike. He was out there and making all the calls and flying around and so, it was great to see him back."

It seemed like anytime Williams was on the field in 2018, he was making plays. He forced two fumbles, picked off two passes, and his longest allowed completion went for only 17 yards.

But when his junior season ended not even after one full game, the frustration and disappointment that followed were almost just as difficult to get through as rehabilitating his injured shoulder.

"At the beginning, he was just down, very down, because he wanted to play," NU defensive backs coach Travis Fisher said. "He was very calm, and especially a guy like Deontai, he just wants to play so much and then he wants to help his team out. He's a team guy, he's a 'we' guy."

As glad as Nebraska's coaches are to see one of their top talents and leaders back in the fold, they also want to make sure Williams picks up where he left off prior to the injury.

"Deontai reads the paper, so I'll tell you what, I'll just say, 'Hey, you got a long ways to go,'" Fisher said. "I don't want to give guys kudos when we working... But right now it looks like he's been playing, it looks like he played all of last year. The way he's moving around, his strength, running looks faster, he was already fast, but he looks faster.

"He's been doing a great job of rehab, and he used that time the right way, I'll say that. I was very happy to see him running around again."