NFL coach diagnosed with cancer as team makes heartbreaking announcement

New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

The news was revealed at a Friday morning press conference by Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

'This week is Crucial Catch. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that Terrell Williams was determined to have prostate cancer and is in the process of treatment and meeting with specialists and figuring out the best plan of attack to be able to attack this and heal it and fix it and allow him to get get back to better health,' Vrabel told reporters.

'You know how much Terrell means to me personally and to the people on this football team. 

'Again, we want to send our regards and just publicly let everybody know that's what he's dealing with. 

'When he's ready to talk, he'll talk on his behalf. But I wanted to let you know that's what was going on.'

Vrabel told reporters that inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr will remain lead defensive play caller and that defensive assistant Vinny DePalma will continue coaching Kuhr's unit in his stead.

Vrabel concluded, 'Again, really comfortable with where we're at and how we're operating. 

'But just our thoughts and prayers - and T knows all this, we talk all the time, but just that are with him. His family has been through a lot, and we care about him.'

Last month, Williams needed to be stretchered off the practice field after collapsing. The cause of that collapse has still not been revealed.

Earlier in the year, Williams took a leave of absence from the team to care for his health issues.

Williams has 27 years of experience coaching football. After starting in the college ranks at Fort Scott, North Carolina A&T, Youngstown State, Akron, Purdue, and Texas A&M, he eventually moved to the NFL ranks.

He coached the defensive lines of the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and Tennessee Titans before being promoted to assistant head coach in Nashville when Vrabel was head coach there. 

Last season, Williams was the defensive line coach and run game coordinator under now-Jets head coach Aaron Glenn with the Detroit Lions.