Often an injury can be a career setback. For Arizona State wide receiver Kyle Williams it was a career catalyst.

Williams now views a separated shoulder that slowed him his freshman season as a blessing in disguise. Growing up he had always enjoyed math and science but never knew where those interests would lead him — that is until the injury paved the way for his first meeting with Dr. Anikar Chhabra, the Sun Devils team physician and the director of sports medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Tempe.

The doctor, a former basketball player at Harvard, helped Williams overcome the shoulder ailment and became a mentor in the process. The two bonded over their love of the medical field and their shared background in athletics.

Chhabra could tell there was something special about the athlete-turned-protege.

"It was the questions he asked," Chhabra said. "Most players just want to know when they're going to be back on the field playing again. Kyle wanted to know about the anatomy of the shoulder, what was involved in the healing process, what he could do so that it wouldn't happen again."

When that football season ended Williams approached Chhabra about getting a closer look at the profession. The doctor sensed Williams' genuine interest and was happy to give him that chance. For the next two years Williams served as a research intern. He has also followed Chhabra on patient rounds and observed more surgeries than he can count — everything from arthroscopic procedures to ACL reconstructions.

He also did research and wrote a chapter on a new arthroscopic procedure for a soon-to-be-published textbook to which Chhabra is contributing. The doctor went over Williams' work and only had to make some minor tweaks but was impressed with what the young student delivered.

Such experiences have only piqued Williams' interest. He still isn't sure in which field he would like to specialize, but is considering orthopedics as well as pediatric cardiology.

"There's something really special about being to heal people and help people," Williams said. "From the first day I got to shadow Dr. Chhabra, I knew that's what I wanted to do. This has been valuable experience and I am so grateful for having had this opportunity."

Williams, a graduate of Vista Murrieta High School in Southern California, is majoring in biomedical engineering, which boasts a demanding curriculum. In the spring he took 17 credits and he'll take more in the summer as well so he can lighten the amount he has to take in the fall during football season.

When ASU held spring football in February, Tuesday and Wednesday sessions were held in the morning which conflicted with Williams class schedule. While many athletes have courses they can take on line, Williams had to be in the classroom.

"In the fall I put football first," said Williams, part of ASU's Barrett Honors program. "Now, I need to start thinking more about putting school first."

Coaches were understanding of his situation and see him as a role model for younger players.

"He's probably our best all-around receiver if you consider speed, hands, blocking ability," wide receivers coach Charlie Fisher said. "On top of everything else he's just great to be around. He's always positive and encourages the other players. He the model citizen and the epitome of what you want in a student-athlete."

A medical career might be Williams' ultimate goal but that doesn't mean he is ruling out playing football after college and he is equally focused on the upcoming season with the Sun Devils who will be looking to improve on their second-place South Division Pac-12 finish of last season.

Last year Williams, affectionately called "Doc" by his teammates, caught 44 passes for 449 yards and two touchdowns. Now, with N'Keal Harry opting for the NFL instead of a senior season, Williams and the other receivers will have the chance to land a bigger role in the offense.

"I love football and I want to keep playing as long as I can but that can't last forever," he said. "Everyone has to have another plan and this will be the plan whenever football ends, whether that's after this season or 10 years from now."

Between academics, athletics and working with Chhabra, Williams doesn't have a lot of free time but he makes room for something else that has a place in his life — his faith. It's one thing that keeps Williams grounded.

He started a ministry for football players called The Legacy which meets on Tuesday nights and has an extended version for athletes of all sports that convenes once a month.

"I definitely think that helps, especially when I am feeling overwhelmed," he said. "There is a lot of peace and comfort in it."

Chharba, who also works with the Phoenix Rising soccer team and the NHL's Coyotes, has no doubt Williams will excel in the medical profession.

"He is off to a good start. He asks all the right questions and he absorbs all the information you give him like sponge," Chhabra said. "He is intelligent; he has a great demeanor. He's personable. Everyone loves him — the patients, the staff. I have no doubt he will do great things in life when he is done with football."

Reach the reporter at Michelle.Gardner@Gannett.com or 602 444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports.

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