This is how Tramon Williams remembers how hard he worked to get here.
Its January. Hes coming off a breakthrough season in which he became the Green Bay Packers full-time No. 3 cornerback and had five interceptions. He has a fiance to see, a wedding to plan and a new house outside Houston waiting for him.
So, where does Williams go?
Back to his old apartment, to campus at Louisiana Tech, to compete with players at his alma mater who harbor long-shot dreams of being the next Tramon Williams.
I always stay around hungry guys. That keeps you fresh, Williams said after practice Thursday. When I went to Houston, I worked out a couple times at Plex whole bunch of NFL guys, guys who already got it. Its a good workout, but its not that competitive environment like college.
So, Williams works out with his old college teammate, Byron Santiago, who had a brief stay with the Packers in 2006, months before Williams came aboard as a practice-squad guy. All of the other faces on campus are new younger and younger, not unlike how Williams remembers himself as a walk-on seven years ago.
He runs with them. Lifts with them. Jumps into seven-on-seven drills when they let him.
Its the offseason routine that got Williams here, so why change now?
Ask anyone who has watched Williams on a daily basis this offseason, and theyll tell you at 26 years old, hes only getting better.
He would be a starting corner on 28, 29 of the 32 teams maybe more, cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. said. Hes a guy that can be an elite corner in this league.
Role player
In effect, Williams is a starter for the Packers, who like most teams play three cornerbacks in their nickel defense on a large chunk of snaps as opponents increasingly spread out their offenses.
The Packers acknowledged that much by announcing the names of Williams and nickel linebacker Brandon Chillar along with their 11 base defense starters before Sundays opener against Chicago, then played nickel on 66.2 percent of snaps against the Bears tight end-heavy offense in a 21-15 win. Williams responded by recording his sixth interception since Week 4 of last season one more than teammate Charles Woodson and the most of any NFL cornerback in that span and getting his hands on two other balls.
Based on production alone, its easy to make a case for the Packers having the best three-deep cornerback group in the NFL, especially with Woodson and fellow veteran Al Harris coming off Pro Bowl seasons. Unlike with predecessors such as Patrick Dendy and Jarrett Bush, the Packers can bump Woodson into the nickel over the slot receiver without major fears about Williams matching up with a No. 1 or 2 receiver on the edge.
That makes a difference against opponents like the Cincinnati Bengals, who will try to spread things out on Sunday at Lambeau Field with their talented receivers corps of Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Andrew Caldwell and Chris Henry.
If you dont have (a third solid corner), then it doesnt take long for your opponents to find him, defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. Its become more of a matchup game. People have so much tape to study that they can figure out, if youve got a weak link, thats where theyre going to go after. And it affects your planning, too, because if youve got somebody you have to almost always cover up, it really limits what you can do game planning-wise.
Avoiding the big one
The primary knock on Williams last season was a propensity to give up explosive plays.
When injuries hit late last season and coaches moved Woodson to safety to get Williams on the field, Williams had arguably his worst two-game stretch since entering the lineup. In a loss Nov. 30 against Carolina, he allowed completions of 44 and 36 yards and was called for three penalties. The next week, in a loss to Houston, Williams had an interception and a fumble recovery but also allowed a 58-yard touchdown among five catches against him for 153 yards.
But there is optimism the switch to Capers 3-4 defensive scheme, which employs far more zone coverage concepts than Bob Sanders old quarters-match scheme, will allow all of the defensive backs more opportunities to peak into the backfield without getting into trouble. Williams interception on Sunday came out of a Cover-2 look in which Williams was supposed to stay outside but gambled underneath the route because he had safety help deep.
Weve got to keep balls in front of us, and with the vision, theres enough plays for everybody, Whitt said. Youre going to see that ball thrown and youll be able to go get it. That was an issue last year, giving up explosives, but hes really taken care of it. He hasnt done it in practice, and weve only played one game this year, but he hasnt given up an explosive in the game either.
Moving ahead
Theres no question Williams has the physical tools to continue his ascent decent speed (4.59 in the 40 coming of college), long arms, exceptional vertical leap, an uncanny ability to catch the flash of the ball without tracking it in the air.
Perhaps the best decision Williams made in the offseason was taking out an insurance policy and taking part in voluntary practices despite refusing to sign his minimum tender as an exclusive-rights free agent. He kept up with teammates as they learned Capers scheme and had his good faith rewarded with a one-year, $905,980 contract almost double the $460,000 he was due under the tender.
Depending on looming labor negotiations, Williams could become a restricted free agent in March and almost certainly would draw significant interest. Considering the advancing ages of Harris (34) and Woodson (32), though, the Packers probably would be inclined to do what it takes to keep him.
I want to definitely be here long term, no doubt about it, said Williams, who got married three days after June minicamp to his longtime sweetheart, the former Shantrell Moore. Aint nothing like Green Bay. I know I dont want to go anywhere else. But the rest is just up to them.
Either way, Williams says hell be back on campus again after the season, reminding himself of how hard he has to work to stay here.
After all, it was less than three years ago that Williams was flying from one tryout to the next, one rejection to the next, until the Packers called to offer him a chance on Thanksgiving Day.
Nothing has been given to him, Whitt said. Hes outworked people to get what he has. He has outworked people, and God gave him a lot of ability. Hes not afraid to work, and he understands what it takes, what the work is to get the details, the little parts of it.
Thats whats making him a good player, and thats why Whitt paused and made an upward motion with his right hand he keeps going this way.
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