Jamaal Williams: Dan Campbell can bring the ‘beast’ out of you
Jamaal Williams had a recordbreaking season for the Detroit Lions in 2022.
The running back set the team’s single-season rushing touchdown record, breaking Barry Sanders’ mark set in 1991. He also became the team’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Reggie Bush did it in 2013.
He was a catalyst for the team’s surge in the second half of the season. His leadership had been on display since the team appeared on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ during training camp. Thanks to his efforts along with superb performances from teammates, the Lions finished 8-2 over the final 10 games to end 2022 with a winning record.
Williams, who became a celebrity amongst fans for his affable personality and contagious energy, appeared on NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’ Tuesday morning to discuss a plethora of topics.
Among the discussion, the running back spoke at length about playing for Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell. The six-year veteran signed with the Lions during Campbell’s first season at the helm and praised the efforts of the coach through his first two years.
“He’s a good leader,” Williams noted. “Good leaders are the ones, too, it’s not always gonna be sunshine all the time. Some days you’re gonna be like, what is wrong with this man? I don’t want to do this. When you get out there, you get the motivation and see that he just wants to bring the beast out of you, bring the dog out of you, bring that extra motivation that you didn’t know you had.”
Williams is a free agent, as his contract expired at the end of the regular season. Though he’s likely to have a list of suitors courting his services, he admitted to the show’s hosts that he’d like to stay with the Lions when asked.
“Oh, staying in Detroit,” Williams said. “I don’t like change. If I don’t have to go nowhere and just go from there and improve, stay there. It’s just part of the game, part of the business.
I take nothing not too personal at all until, if I have to play you, man, it’s getting personal for me. But other than that, I’m happy go lucky, want me on the team? I’m just here to be a great teammate, try to make the team better and just do my job.”
Viral interview explained
Following a win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 18, Williams was interviewed by Melissa Stark. His range of emotion within the interview, ranging from tears to excitement in a short span, went viral.
Speaking Tuesday, he explained what he was dealing with that brought out the emotion in him. He spoke about the death of his great-grandfather and how he didn’t tell his teammates until after the game.
“I really didn’t have time to really grieve yet,” Williams said. “After the game, everything’s done, I didn’t know we didn’t make playoffs yet or nothing like that, I was just playing. After the game, somebody brought me the football, and I’m just like, ‘This is for me.’ After that, I just broke down. Just started thinking about my great grandfather, my great-grandmother passed away before he did
and they were both 92. So it was like he just went up there to be with his woman, the love of his life. I’m just grateful that I was able to perform like that in my last game for them.
“When you’re watching TV, you know how people be sometimes. They be weenies sometimes. They see you crying, I’m not trying to be like that Jordan meme of him crying like that, so I had to put some exclamation on there, like I’m crying for a reason…I was crying because my grandparents died. Don’t let it fool you, I will run you over while crying. That’s all I’m saying. You can be a dog while crying.”
Breaking Sanders’ record
Williams’ historic campaign put him in the same conversation as Sanders, a Hall of Famer. He entered the season behind D’Andre Swift on the depth chart, but injuries to Swift carved out a bigger role for him.
Sanders is considered to be among the best Lions players of all time. When Williams hears his name mentioned with the great, he feels grateful. Yet, he’s still hungry to produce following the record year.
“I’m grateful and I’m hungry and I’m humble, but my curse is that I’m never satisfied,” Williams said. “So, I don’t wanna keep this as the highest of my life. I love that I broke his record and I’m grateful for it, he’s a great running back and a great player. I’m just grateful to be in the same category with Barry. I see all his highlights, big plays, running around, sideways, going east and west and then going north. For me to break his record, I give thanks to God, my uncle, my trainer. Year six into this thing, we’ve got our goals every year. To finally get some of them off there now, that’s great, now I’ve got more goals and am trying to be even better.”
Thoughts on Super Bowl matchup
This year’s Super Bowl features the top seed in each conference, with the Philadelphia Eagles squaring off with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Lions have familiarity with the NFC representative, as they opened the season against the Eagles. Despite a slow start, Detroit suffered a narrow 38-35 loss in Week 1.
Williams scored two touchdowns in that game. He told the hosts that the Eagles will be the tougher of the two teams to run the ball against.
“I think it’s just gonna be tough, grit and a great football game,” Williams explained. “You’re gonna have to have that mentality of a dog for real and you can’t think someone’s gonna be scared of your name. It’s gonna be the biggest game, so go at it. The Eagles, they’re some dogs for real.”
The running back praised the Eagles’ core of running backs, including Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell.