EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Kevin Williams can't wait to get on the field with his Minnesota Vikings teammates for the first time this season after missing the first two games because of a suspension.
He's a little less excited about playing the next two games for free.
Williams fought a long court battle over a positive test for a banned diuretic three years ago. The fight ended in the offseason, and the NFL decided to change his suspension from four games to two. But it also fined him two additional game checks. That means he will play against the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs without being paid.
"I try not to think about it anymore," Williams said Monday, his first day back at Vikings headquarters since his suspension kicked in before the season started. "It's become a numb feeling that I'll be out there for two weeks without pay. You all can take a pot if you like, and I'll be more than happy to take it."
Williams was joking with that dry humor of his, but it's clear this whole ordeal has been a trying situation for him. He and former teammate Pat Williams were suspended in 2008 after testing positive for a diuretic that was banned by the league. The supplement they were taking, StarCaps, didn't list it on the ingredient label, so the Williamses fought the test, along with New Orleans Saints defensive linemen Will Smith and Charles Grant.
"Sitting at home two weeks was bad enough," Williams said. "The foot (isn't) going to stop me. ... I won't say I'm a full 100 percent, but I'm probably as close as I'm going to get at this time of the year. We'll just evaluate it week to week and hopefully it holds up."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
