Bengals Receiver Isaiah Williams on Training Camp, Preseason, Joe Burrow and More

Cincinnati Bengals On SI

Transcript

00:00Isaiah, you've made plays throughout camp.

00:02Preseason is just a few days away.

00:04How has camp gone so far for you?

00:06Man, it's been really a blessing.

00:09Really just making the most of every opportunity.

00:11Whenever coach called my name, just making sure I know the assignment.

00:15Making the most.

00:16Really my biggest thing is just making the most of every opportunity and being thankful.

00:20I've just been thankful for every little thing.

00:22Like, if it's just like I got one chance to make a play today, like I'm thankful for that.

00:27If I don't have a chance, I'm thankful for that.

00:28But just the biggest thing for me, this was just growing every single day,

00:33learning and making the most of every opportunity.

00:35How hard is this offense to pick up?

00:37Because obviously you joined the team in November and it's midseason.

00:41You know, it's more than midseason.

00:43And they're hitting the ground running.

00:45Where are you at now versus where you were at, say, in December when you were trying to piece it together?

00:51When I first got here back in November, December, it was tough.

00:56Like, just coming in.

00:58But I focused on one position at the time.

01:01So at the time, you know, T was battling with some things.

01:03So I'd go in for Z, take them reps.

01:06So being able to just focus on one position, Z, it was kind of easier.

01:11But then coming back during OTAs, it was like, oh, you're a F now.

01:15So it's like I had learned Z the whole time.

01:19Then having to come play F.

01:20I took the challenge because in this offense, if you ask mostly everybody,

01:26they'd say F the hardest position to learn.

01:28So I kind of just took that challenge.

01:31And it was like this offseason, at least once or twice a week, I'm going to dive into the playbook,

01:37make sure I'm looking over the plays, make sure I'm learning everything.

01:39And not only learning F, but learning X and Z, learning everything.

01:44And I think it's paying off.

01:46I could be better at the little details of it.

01:48But with time, just more reps and stuff, I'll get better at that.

01:51For those watching, obviously, you're talking about the slot spot.

01:54What goes into that in this offense?

01:57Because I've talked to some of your teammates about it.

01:59And it's on the fly.

02:01You're making decisions based on the coverages.

02:03You've got to read things.

02:04It's not just reacting.

02:06So the F is always, most of the time, the adjuster.

02:10So the F, you're moving.

02:11You're on the left side of the field.

02:13Then you're on the right side of the field.

02:15On top of that, some of the plays, you're not tagged.

02:21So sometimes you're the one that got to figure out what I got based on this play.

02:25Or if it's NASCAR with a Z race, it's telling the Z what to do so the X know what to do because he got the race.

02:33Now it's like, SF, what do I got?

02:35Like, stuff like that.

02:36That's kind of what I've been playing since I started playing receiver back in my third year of college.

02:42And I kind of became comfortable at slot.

02:45I feel like I could play both outside and inside.

02:48But I feel like I have a skill set that, like, could really help me do damage in a slot.

02:56Troy Walters is someone that a lot of people like.

02:59I know he's helped Jamar and T.

03:00Obviously, everyone knows that.

03:02But when he played, he played a similar role that you're playing now.

03:06He was returning and he was with Peyton Manning and all that.

03:09Have you talked with him about that?

03:11And how valuable has he been?

03:12I told him yesterday, like two days ago, he showed us some of his tape.

03:19The day we had one-on-ones, he showed, like, some of his one-on-one clips.

03:23And I'm like, dang, he was special.

03:25I see why he won the hospital.

03:27Like, he was different.

03:28Everybody in the room could attest to him.

03:30He's a great teacher.

03:31Like, we never out there confused.

03:33He know how to relate to all of us.

03:36Like, he know how to relate a certain play to T.

03:38He know how to relate a certain play to me, a certain play to Jamar.

03:41Like, he's just a great coach at teaching people the ins and outs.

03:46We, like, similar in a way.

03:47Like, smaller guys, home return, kick return, quicker.

03:55I think I grow, like, a certain, like, I kind of pay attention to everything.

03:59Like, I'm listening to every little detail.

04:01I always tell people, I'm like, man, it's crazy that I ended up on a team like this.

04:06And then my coach, like, in a way, like, looking at his tape, I'm like, dang.

04:11Like, so being able to be coached by him, it's a blessing because, in a way, like,

04:16he can relate a lot to, like, probably some of the stuff that I have to go through

04:20or some of the, like, some of my gifts also.

04:23Like, man, it's a blessing to have him as a coach.

04:25You think it's going to be, like, preseason game, number one.

04:28It's your first time playing in a game in a while.

04:31And your role is different than it was in December, you know,

04:34when you were practicing, just trying to play catch-up.

04:36You're battling to make this team and be a factor on this team.

04:42For me, I think, for me, I just want to go out there

04:46and leave it all out there.

04:48Like, it's been on my mind a lot, like, just the preseason,

04:54being able to really show what I can do in a game setting

04:57because I feel like I really haven't been able to even show one of my best attributes,

05:02and that's, like, yak, you know what I'm saying?

05:04And I'm more comfortable and I have more confidence and faith

05:08than I ever did, like, in my life.

05:10And I think that's a testament to this offseason,

05:14just growing my relationship with God.

05:18I think that's a testament to a lot of that.

05:20But I'm more confident and got more faith than I ever had in my life,

05:24you know what I'm saying?

05:24So I really want to go out there and let it all out

05:28and just, like, you know, show people what it's like when you put God first,

05:32like, what he could do.

05:33Like, so I'm kind of, I'm so excited for them games,

05:37I ain't going to lie, like, I'm ready for them games.

Category

Transcript

Recommended