Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams eats meals prepared by a personal chef. He works out four days a week. Some of that time is spent with a defensive backs trainer. (More on that in a bit.) He's so determined to better himself that he gave up fast food and Oreo cookies, big sacrifices for any 22-year-old.
"He wants to show people, 'I was the third overall pick for a reason,'" Williams' personal trainer, Kevin Brown, said in a phone interview. "That's his fire this offseason. Truly, he's all-in. I'm like, 'We need a Pro Bowl this year.' The mental space he's in now is totally on another level. This year, you guys will see a big difference in Quinnen Williams."
The Jets hope so because his rookie season was underwhelming, magnifying the importance of his first full offseason program, which failed to come to full fruition. Team facilities were shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, a potentially huge setback for a young player who is still learning how to prepare his body and mind for the rigors of a NFL season.
Instead of New Jersey, Williams has spent the offseason at home in Birmingham, Alabama, where he trains at Xtreme Fitness and Performance. It's a familiar setting for Williams, who has been going to Brown since the 11th grade. He works out alongside his brother, Quincy Williams, a linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Brown, who supervises about a dozen players, said his initial goals for Quinnen were to get him healthy (he missed three games because of a high-ankle sprain) and improve his strength.
There's also a quickness component built into the program. Brown doesn't want old-school defensive linemen (see: plodding 300-pounders), so there's an emphasis on movement skills. That's why Williams (6-foot-3, 303 pounds), already known for his athleticism, does agility drills with the in-house DB trainer. It's why he works out with VertiMax training equipment, which increases jumping ability and explosiveness.
Good nutrition also is a staple of the plan. Williams, who used a personal chef during the season, hired one for the offseason, too. When he's on the go and can't eat at home, he packs microwavable snacks for a healthier option than drive-through junk food.
"You're not going to put regular gas in a Lamborghini," Brown said. "It's the same thing with your body. You have to make sure you have the right fuel."
This is a huge season for Williams, the highest-drafted defensive player in Jets history. Considered a "can't-miss" prospect, he had 2.5 sacks and recorded more than two solo tackles in one of 13 games. He wasn't terrible, but he disappeared for stretches, acknowledging at the end of the season that he didn't play up to his expectations.
Some perspective, people.
Williams was so hyped coming out of Alabama that people looked past his relative lack of experience. Basically, he was a full-time player for one season. He dominated college offensive linemen, but he quickly discovered in the NFL that it takes more than talent.
"If you look back at his career at Alabama, he didn't play a lot," Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "He still has a lot of raw talent in him. The more he learns and the more experience he gets on the field will make him that much better. ... Guys like me and the coaches have to stay on him and make sure he's in the right mindset. He's definitely that guy in the middle of our defense that can wreck games."
Williams' offseason began with a wrong kind of headline -- a March arrest for allegedly carrying an unlicensed pistol in a New York airport. (The charges are pending; the expectation is that his playing status won't be affected in 2020.) Williams tried to spin the offseason into a positive by committing to his craft. Come training camp, we'll see the results.
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"He wants to show people, 'I was the third overall pick for a reason,'" Williams' personal trainer, Kevin Brown, said in a phone interview. "That's his fire this offseason. Truly, he's all-in. I'm like, 'We need a Pro Bowl this year.' The mental space he's in now is totally on another level. This year, you guys will see a big difference in Quinnen Williams."
The Jets hope so because his rookie season was underwhelming, magnifying the importance of his first full offseason program, which failed to come to full fruition. Team facilities were shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, a potentially huge setback for a young player who is still learning how to prepare his body and mind for the rigors of a NFL season.
Brown, who supervises about a dozen players, said his initial goals for Quinnen were to get him healthy (he missed three games because of a high-ankle sprain) and improve his strength.
There's also a quickness component built into the program. Brown doesn't want old-school defensive linemen (see: plodding 300-pounders), so there's an emphasis on movement skills. That's why Williams (6-foot-3, 303 pounds), already known for his athleticism, does agility drills with the in-house DB trainer. It's why he works out with VertiMax training equipment, which increases jumping ability and explosiveness.
Good nutrition also is a staple of the plan. Williams, who used a personal chef during the season, hired one for the offseason, too. When he's on the go and can't eat at home, he packs microwavable snacks for a healthier option than drive-through junk food.
"You're not going to put regular gas in a Lamborghini," Brown said. "It's the same thing with your body. You have to make sure you have the right fuel."
This is a huge season for Williams, the highest-drafted defensive player in Jets history. Considered a "can't-miss" prospect, he had 2.5 sacks and recorded more than two solo tackles in one of 13 games. He wasn't terrible, but he disappeared for stretches, acknowledging at the end of the season that he didn't play up to his expectations.
Some perspective, people.
Williams was so hyped coming out of Alabama that people looked past his relative lack of experience. Basically, he was a full-time player for one season. He dominated college offensive linemen, but he quickly discovered in the NFL that it takes more than talent.
"If you look back at his career at Alabama, he didn't play a lot," Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley said. "He still has a lot of raw talent in him. The more he learns and the more experience he gets on the field will make him that much better. ... Guys like me and the coaches have to stay on him and make sure he's in the right mindset. He's definitely that guy in the middle of our defense that can wreck games."
Williams' offseason began with a wrong kind of headline -- a March arrest for allegedly carrying an unlicensed pistol in a New York airport. (The charges are pending; the expectation is that his playing status won't be affected in 2020.) Williams tried to spin the offseason into a positive by committing to his craft. Come training camp, we'll see the results.
In Year 2, Quinnen Williams hopes to be cookie-less monster for Jets
Beyond giving up fast food and Oreos, New York's 2019 first-round pick has been working out with a defensive backs trainer in an effort to up his game.