BriWi To Leave Nightly for Knee Surgery

NBC's Brian Williams is going on the D L. 

Williams announced on Thursday's Nightly News that he will be taking time off to have knee surgery.

Williams says took a helmet to knee hit while playing high school football and has been in pain ever since.

“It reversed my knee – they don’t recommend that,” he said. “I’ve been in pain for 35 years. I loved playing a team sport. I loved every minute of football. I’ve paid a very high price for what’s been confirmed to be the single worst New Jersey High School Catholic League football career in history.”

In William’s case, the pain has gotten so bad that it is interfering with his sleep, he said, so he decided it was time for the surgery.

“I reached a point recently in the last 12 months where I decided this has to happen and to be mathematical about it, I've lived now most of my days so worst case scenario, if this doesn't go perfectly well, which it will, it can't hurt more than it hurts now,” Williams says.

NBC says BriWi will miss anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months, but most feel it should be around a month to 6 weeks. 

Lester Holt will be filling in. 

H/T NBC