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4 downs with Jets' Marcus Williams, on what he's learned from Darrelle Revis
Quick question: Which Jets cornerback leads the team in interceptions this season?
If you're thinking Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, or Buster Skrine, you'd be incorrect.
OK, time's up: It's Marcus Williams, a 2014 undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State. Williams has managed to pick off five passes even though he's played just 36 percent of the defensive snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Williams has primarily been the Jets' dime corner, but he's also been the first man up whenever Revis or Cromartie has been slowed by injuries.
"He's very patient out there," head coach Todd Bowles said of Williams. "The moment is not too big for him. The ball finds him, number one—very instinctive, very smart player."
Not bad for a guy who got waived out of training camp last summer with the Texans, and was released from their practice squad three weeks later, to to get signed by the Jets the day after that.
Williams has missed the Jets' last two games with a sprained MCL. But he's been practicing in full this week, and he's expected to play Saturday night, when the Jets (8-5) play at the Cowboys (4-9) at AT&T Stadium.
Williams took few minutes this week to talk about how far he's come in such a short amount of time, and about what he's picked up from working so closely with a star like Revis, who's renowned for his competitiveness and preparation.
A: "Ton of things. Basically just learning, and just being more of a student of the game. I feel like that's what's happening. Bringing in guys like Revis and Cromartie; you can just learn from those guys. It's been a great experience for me; it's been a great year, from that standpoint, as well. Just learning from those guys has been awesome."
Q: Biggest thing learned?
A: "Just how to be a pro, really. Just how to take every single day. From Revis, you can just learn from him just by watching him. He's a guy, he's not going to say a lot of words, he's not as vocal. But he's going to lead by example. Cro's a lot more vocal, and you can see how he leads from that standpoint. There's different ways you can learn from each of those guys."
Q: How have you been able to make so many plays without playing as much?
A: "Just doing what the coaches tell me. The coaches put me in great spots to go out there and succeed. Any time I get a chance, I'm just trying to go out there and get the job done, no matter now many plays I've played."
Q: After the way things began last year, did see you see yourself getting to a point where you're leading a defense like this one in picks a season later?
A: "I've always had confidence in my game, and what I've been doing. Just going back to college, I've always been a guy who's gotten a lot of interceptions. It's just come by just being in the right position, listening, and studying the game even when you're not here at the facility. My main goal is just to try to go out there and do my job as well as I can, so that when the time comes, and they call my number, I can go out there and make a play."
Q: Did you feel you were overlooked coming out of college?
A: "Yeah. I definitely did. Every player wants to be drafted. Coming out of college, I definitely feel like I was overlooked, but it's something that just fuels the fire, and just keeps you motivated, and keeps a chip on your shoulder."
Q: What does Revis do that sets him apart? Obviously, he's talented. But what does he do?
A: "Preparation in the film room. Just how he studies the game. When he's in there, he's commenting on stuff he sees, or if he sees me do something wrong, or in a way that he probably would have done it, he'll give me that advice. It's just little things. He's not a guy that's going to say a lot. But when he says something, you're going to listen to it."
Q: Brandon Marshall had said in the summer Revis is very good at picking up on receivers' tendencies, how they might tip which way they might go when running a route.
A: "Yeah. He's real good at that. He'll say, 'Watch out for this. You know this guy right here likes to push off. Or this guy right here is not that fast, so you don't have to play off his speed. Or this guy right here is really fast, so you might want to back up.' Just little things, little tips that he tells you because he's watched a ton of film on these guys for years. So he knows what he's talking about."
Quick question: Which Jets cornerback leads the team in interceptions this season?
If you're thinking Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, or Buster Skrine, you'd be incorrect.
OK, time's up: It's Marcus Williams, a 2014 undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State. Williams has managed to pick off five passes even though he's played just 36 percent of the defensive snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Williams has primarily been the Jets' dime corner, but he's also been the first man up whenever Revis or Cromartie has been slowed by injuries.
"He's very patient out there," head coach Todd Bowles said of Williams. "The moment is not too big for him. The ball finds him, number one—very instinctive, very smart player."
Not bad for a guy who got waived out of training camp last summer with the Texans, and was released from their practice squad three weeks later, to to get signed by the Jets the day after that.
Williams has missed the Jets' last two games with a sprained MCL. But he's been practicing in full this week, and he's expected to play Saturday night, when the Jets (8-5) play at the Cowboys (4-9) at AT&T Stadium.
Williams took few minutes this week to talk about how far he's come in such a short amount of time, and about what he's picked up from working so closely with a star like Revis, who's renowned for his competitiveness and preparation.
A: "Ton of things. Basically just learning, and just being more of a student of the game. I feel like that's what's happening. Bringing in guys like Revis and Cromartie; you can just learn from those guys. It's been a great experience for me; it's been a great year, from that standpoint, as well. Just learning from those guys has been awesome."
Q: Biggest thing learned?
A: "Just how to be a pro, really. Just how to take every single day. From Revis, you can just learn from him just by watching him. He's a guy, he's not going to say a lot of words, he's not as vocal. But he's going to lead by example. Cro's a lot more vocal, and you can see how he leads from that standpoint. There's different ways you can learn from each of those guys."
Q: How have you been able to make so many plays without playing as much?
A: "Just doing what the coaches tell me. The coaches put me in great spots to go out there and succeed. Any time I get a chance, I'm just trying to go out there and get the job done, no matter now many plays I've played."
Q: After the way things began last year, did see you see yourself getting to a point where you're leading a defense like this one in picks a season later?
A: "I've always had confidence in my game, and what I've been doing. Just going back to college, I've always been a guy who's gotten a lot of interceptions. It's just come by just being in the right position, listening, and studying the game even when you're not here at the facility. My main goal is just to try to go out there and do my job as well as I can, so that when the time comes, and they call my number, I can go out there and make a play."
Q: Did you feel you were overlooked coming out of college?
A: "Yeah. I definitely did. Every player wants to be drafted. Coming out of college, I definitely feel like I was overlooked, but it's something that just fuels the fire, and just keeps you motivated, and keeps a chip on your shoulder."
Q: What does Revis do that sets him apart? Obviously, he's talented. But what does he do?
A: "Preparation in the film room. Just how he studies the game. When he's in there, he's commenting on stuff he sees, or if he sees me do something wrong, or in a way that he probably would have done it, he'll give me that advice. It's just little things. He's not a guy that's going to say a lot. But when he says something, you're going to listen to it."
Q: Brandon Marshall had said in the summer Revis is very good at picking up on receivers' tendencies, how they might tip which way they might go when running a route.
A: "Yeah. He's real good at that. He'll say, 'Watch out for this. You know this guy right here likes to push off. Or this guy right here is not that fast, so you don't have to play off his speed. Or this guy right here is really fast, so you might want to back up.' Just little things, little tips that he tells you because he's watched a ton of film on these guys for years. So he knows what he's talking about."
