No, Eric Williams was not deaf. However, he did experience a hearing problem that required correction.
Eric Williams's Hearing Condition
While attending Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain, where he was a standout in both academics and football, Eric Williams sustained a football injury. This injury was the cause of a hearing problem. To mitigate this impairment, he utilized a hearing aid.
This indicates that while he developed an auditory challenge that necessitated a corrective device, the condition is described as a "hearing problem" rather than total deafness, which typically implies a profound or complete loss of hearing.