The big talk surrounding the Big Cat
HE IS easily recognized by his wild mane, and his teammates fully expect him to dominate the man across from him and impose his will on the afternoon or night.
It is what you will see and hear in East Rutherford this summer from Giants talking about Odell Beckham Jr.
It also is what you will see and hear in Florham Park this summer from Jets talking about Leonard Williams, a.k.a. Leo — especially now that Big Cat has reported to training camp in the best shape of his young career. “Besides the [2015] combine, which is a different type of shape, it’s more of like a drill-type of shape, this is definitely the best, like, football shape I’ve been in,” Williams said. “I was training over the offseason at an MMA place called Empowered in San Francisco. My coach kept telling me, ‘There’s a difference between in shape and being in fight shape.’ ” How did the MMA help him specifically? “It just helped me on body movement, body control,” Big Cat said. Beckham one day will become the highest-paid receiver in the game. Big Cat one day will have a chance to become the highest-paid defensive lineman in the game. “I think Leonard hasn’t even reached the ceiling of his potential yet,” running back Matt Forte told The Post. “Potential is a dangerous word because a lot of people have potential, but you have to go out there and work to reach thathat. He’s working every single day to reach that. I think the great part about it is Leo doesn’t even know how good that he can be. He knows that he’s pretty good, but he doesn’t know that he can be like great, legendary.” The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Williams (seven sacks) made the Pro Bowl in his second season and should be a lock to register double-digit sacks. “I feel like I’m a pretty good athlete, you know?” wide receiver Quincy Enunwa said. “We have like this mile bike race, and it was like riding the bike until you get to a mile and see if you can get there fast. He beat me in that. You gotta ride the bike and burn a certain amount of calories. He beat me in that. He’s a beast. He’s otherworldly, honestly.” It is safe to say Big Cat has a much more understated style than Beckham does. He isn’t even interested in publicly divulging any sacks goal.
“My main goal is: What can I give to my team?” Williams said. “Getting sacks is giving to my team. ... I want to create setups for my other teammates. I want them to create setups for me. We have 11 guys on the field at a time and we all gotta work together.”
Williams is destined one day to replace David Harris as defensive captain.
Lorenzo Mauldin said: “Leonard doesn’t have a limit. He can be as good as he wants to be, and even better. Like he can be one of the top guys in the NFL if he wants to.”
Steve McLendon added: “He is a big-time playmaker, and that’s what we love about him. He’s got a motor that never ends, and he does it with a smile. He loves the game, and he’s doing it with a smile. As long as he continues to do those little things that the coaches are asking for, then the ceiling is not even high enough for him.”
It was Big Cat who broke up a fight between Darron Lee and his girlfriend at the Governors Ball Music Festival. He has indeed grown into more of a vocal leader.
“I feel more comfortable with my teammates. I feel more comfortable with my coaches,” Big Cat said.
He won’t listen to the outside derision about the Jets tanking.
“We’re not gonna let that fuel us. We’re gonna let ourselves fuel us,” Big Cat said. “We don’t need people telling us that we’re gonna be bad to want to be great.”
The Lombardi Trophy in the players’ lobby now?
“It’s the only one the Jets have right now, so it’s a good thing for us to see,” Big Cat said. “We want to bring another one back.”
Their chances would be so much better if they had 21 more Big Cats.