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Connor Williams – August 10, 2022 Download PDF version

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

OL Connor Williams

(Earlier this offseason, we heard Head Coach Mike McDaniel talk about snapping the football, coming off the ball and making plays that way. I’m curious how DT Vita Vea accelerates that challenge for you in that position?) – “We’ve been only able to go against our defense and obviously we have a great defense. Being able to go against a new face and a good player like Vita that plays different techniques and a little different game than ours, it’s good to see that and it’s good to be able to work on that, just to perfect a craft at a new position.”

(What do you think the offensive line did well as a unit today?) – “I think we responded. We came into a new area and I think we all kind of came together and responded well throughout all of the groups.”

(What is DT Vita Vea like to go against?) – “He’s an islander so he’s a big ole hunker down man. (laughter) He’s down to the earth, so you’ve just got to go low on him and get under his pads. He’s a well-respected player and he’s a great player. I love being able to go against him just to fine-tune yourself.”

(What’s the different intensity in these joint practices as opposed to a real game. I would assume it’s pretty close.) – “It’s obviously pretty close. We’re all super competitors. Just to be able to go against somebody you don’t know, there are always those nerves and always that level of competition. This is the highest level, so obviously you want to compete at the highest level. It was good work today.”

(What’s your level of confidence at center this point. What are you doing to work on the snaps?) – “I’d say I’m fully confident. Over the past work we’ve been able to do, I think moving into the season,, I’m fully confident as I’ve been at any position prior to the season.”

(The snapping situation, obviously they are not errand snaps, but they are not ideal snaps from a target standpoint. How do you get that corrected?) – “That’s kind of harsh. (laughter) Obviously it’s just perfecting your craft. It’s day in and day out, just trying to hit the (strike zone). We get reps whenever we can, however we can. It’s just being able to get it in the box every time. Even in those stressed out situations where you know you you’ve got to move wide really quick right at the snap of the ball, being able to snap it and then get out, and being able to perfect that.”

(How has Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith helped you transition to center? Head Coach Mike McDaniel told us the other day that he was Ben Roethlisberger’s center in college. Did you get the sense of that or have you felt that former center mentality?) – “He’s been a great resource. He’s been a great coach and definitely knows the o-line game very well. The biggest thing he’s said to me was like Avatar, like that connection to riding that horse. That’s what me and Tua (Tagoavailoa) have to have. That’s what we’ve been forming and filling that. He’s a great coach, a great resource. You can go tell him whatever you need and he’s there for you.”

(How much has that connection grown in just the 10 days of camp?) – “Tremendously. Being able to know the guy you’re playing with, and definitely when you’re under center, you’ve got to have that connection so you know where to put the laces and everything. I think we’re getting that and growing that.”

(Is it nice to have OL Michael Deiter back and how did he look?) – “He looks good. I think he was really excited to be able to get back on the field and we’ve obviously missed him. He’s a great person and he’s a great contribution to the o-line, and we needed him out there. I think he did very well.”

(Head Coach Mike McDaniel mentioned before practice that the Bucs defensive front has a high penetration rate. What did you notice coming into these practices and what did you notice today relative to how they try to attack and how the offensive line can counter that?) – “Obviously every defense has their pros and cons and their focuses. They are really focused on good get off and then being able to read. With that, you’ve just got to be able to get your first steps in the ground and work in unison, get the play calls down and being able to take that initial surge and being able to extend the play.”   

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