Pro Football : Doug Williams to Be Sidelined 8 to 10 Weeks

Quarterback Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins will be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks after he has surgery today for a herniated disk, the team announced.

Williams will have the surgery at Sibley Hospital in the District of Columbia.

The injury was identified in tests done Thursday.

Williams will remain in the hospital four to seven days.

In a television interview, Williams said he knows the injury could be career-threatening.

“I have the mental attitude that I can play,” Williams said. “At the same time I know I will have to make a decision on whether I want to play.

“The thing about playing this game is you have to face reality.” Williams said. Williams said if he can’t play, he might explore an interest in coaching.

Williams injured his back exercising on a treadmill two months ago. The injury has kept him out of training camp.

Mark Rypien will start at quarterback tonight when the Redskins meet the Miami Dolphins in an exhibition game at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.

The Worldwide League of American Football won’t begin play until the spring of 1991, league president Tex Schramm said.

Schramm, the president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys for 28 years, had hoped the spring league, which will bring American football to Europe, would start next year.

“Although we are ready and anxious to begin play, we want to have the strongest foundation possible to ensure long-term success for the league,” Schramm said.

Schramm added that the year’s delay will give the WLAF more time to shore up its U.S. television contract.