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Preston Williams – September 8, 2020 Download PDF version

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

WR Preston Williams

(Do you think that you’ll need juice from the team with there being no fans in the stands? Do you guys think you need to cheer each other on to kind of help with the morale and help you guys along in the game?) – “Not really. We just treat it like we’re at practice or something. There really aren’t any fans at practice, so we just kind of treat it the same way and go about it the same way. When we score, we all hype each other up. A celebration is a celebration. The juice is going to be out there.”

(I know we had talked before about you and WR DeVante Parker. I just wanted to ask, now that he’s getting back healthy, what do you guys sort of look at going into the year as what you guys can do as a tandem, particularly when you face these top corners like a CB Stephon Gilmore? Do you talk about you versus him or what you have to do against that particular player?) – “No. If we stay healthy, a lot of the numbers are going to speak for themselves. The main thing is just getting better every day, staying healthy and just trying to be at every game this year.”

(They had three guys in their secondary last year with five or more interceptions. I know they lost S Patrick Chung to the COVID opt-out, but they still have a lot of playmakers back there. What do you remember about when you played against them in Week 2 last year, and what’s that challenge like facing that secondary?) – “They have a good system and good coaching. They’re a tough team; but if we play our game, we know it’s going to be a challenge. We’re just ready for whatever they throw at us. If it’s Week 1, Week 2 or the end of the year, we’re just going to be ready for whatever. We know they’re a good team but every team is good in the NFL.”

(Compare how it feels for you right now, knowing you’re established on the team now, you’re starting – how does it feel for you now compared to one year ago?) – “The game has definitely slowed down to me. Personally, it’s just one of my things – the game has definitely slowed down to me. Last year, coach told me that I needed to have a better jump from Year 1 to Year 2. I’ve just been focused, trying to improve my game and learn more positions. This year there’s probably a lot more on the plate. I’m just trying to manage everything. I was a rookie last year and still getting my feet wet but now the game’s slowed down. I’m just working every day.”

(You’ve obviously looked very good in camp. Do you feel like you have everything back physically? Does the knee feel the same as it did last October? And was there anyone who had ACL surgery who sort of guided you through this process? Any NFL players or friends?) – “Me, personally, (I) feel good. Of course I’ve got camp legs. It’s been a long camp. We worked really hard. It’s hot outside. I feel good. Last year, I felt probably close to the same. Nobody has guided me as this is my second ACL (injury). Nobody guided me through it. I’ve just been here working with the staff and just getting back healthy. I already knew what I needed to do to get back to this point.”

(When you suffered that injury last year, was being ready for Week 1 a realistic goal for you or did you think it might take a minute to come back for this?) – “Yeah, that was definitely in my head. It didn’t happen, then in my head I probably didn’t work hard enough. I was preparing for Week 1 and worked my butt off. We’re here this week.”

(So often it seems like if a guy has an ACL injury, maybe they do come back the next year but they admit later on down the road, “I didn’t quite feel right. It took that much extra time.” Are you not surprised at all that you feel as good as you do right now?) – “I’m not surprised. You really don’t feel good until a year after your injury. That’s when it really feels just normal again. I know it happened. I know I’m still kind of 10 months out. I can feel it. But I’m used to feeling like this.”

(I know the team has been doing a lot of “load management” with you during practice to make sure you kind of come back right from it. Do you anticipate that kind of lingering into games and you kind of getting a certain rep count, per se?) – “I don’t know exactly. When my number is called, I just try to perform. If it is a certain amount of reps, it’s going to be my best reps. If I play the whole game, I play the whole game.”

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