Ryan Williams ready to make 2012 debut

While the team’s quarterbacks will get most of the attention Friday in Glendale, an Arizona Cardinals running back may end up stealing the show.

Ryan Williams, who has not played since rupturing the patellar in his right knee last August, will take the field for the first time since the injury when the Cardinals host the Oakland Raiders.

“Emotional, that’s probably the number one word,” the 22-year-old said of how it feels to be back on the field. “But exciting at the same time because once I started moving again and started balling again the excitement started coming back.

“I started becoming happy again.”

No doubt Cardinals coaches and fans alike will also be pleased to see the former Virginia Tech star making plays again, as he was the star of last summer’s training camp before going down with the injury. And while the plan has been to take it slow with the back during his recovery, the goal now changes from just getting back on the field to being effective and helping the offense.

“I just want to make plays, that’s the important thing for me,” Williams said. “When you see 34 (his number) out there, just to make plays. Not 200, 300-yard games. If I get it then I’ll be happy with it, but if I make some big, significant plays throughout the game and some important plays, that’s what I’ll be proud about at the end of the day.”

That’s not to say Williams does not have big expectations coming into what, in a way, will be his rookie season.

“I’m trying to get over 1,000 (yards),” he said. “Trying to go over 1,000, over 10 touchdowns and all that.

“So I’ll be racking up some stats then, but as of now I just want to get my feet wet and get a feel for the game again.”

Arizona Sports’ Kyndra de St. Aubin contributed to this report

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