Special Teams Dictates The Past, Present and Future for Antwione Williams

For a lot of players in the NFL, their best shot to have a job come September is on special teams. For Antwione Williams, this was a culture shock.

The Detroit Lions drafted Williams in the 5th round of the 2016 NFL draft. As a stand-up kid with a blue collar mentality, everyone thought Williams would catch on to the workman’s duties of kickoff and punt coverage. He certainly had the athleticism for it.

He played rotationally in his rookie year, and Lions fans were hoping to see him take the next step in his sophomore season. He was even getting starter buzz before being surprisingly cut before the 2017 season.

When asked about that, GM Bob Quinn pinned Williams’ release on two things: special teams and versatility. The Lions rotate their strong-side linebacker (Williams’ position) out on nickel downs, so keeping an extra isn’t as important. Special teams, however, is as important as always. Without directly saying it, Quinn confirmed that special teams is what did Wlliams in.

The Vikings picked him up and placed him on the practice squad in 2017, where he eventually signed a futures contract.

Now, Williams has a second chance to make it in the NFL, but it hinges on him learning special teams – and fast. He only has one full season of special teams experience under his belt.

“I feel a little bit more comfortable at the position.” Williams said after a morning walkthrough in Eagan, MN. “We preach physicality and speed here … It’s really meticulous, you get down to the nitty gritty.”

Williams also praised the locker room culture in Minnesota, saying, “Sometimes you get to teams and coaches don’t mesh well or players don’t mesh well. Everyone’s cohesive here, it’s great.”

Special Teams coach Mike Priefer said of Williams, “We’re trying to break some bad habits that he brought with him [from Detroit] but other than that he’s got a great attitude, he’s smart, and he’s a good football player.“

Priefer also lauded his size and speed. Ultimately, Williams has all the ability you could hope for in a special teams stud. As a linebacker, Williams has more than enough on-field experience to justify a roster spot.

It’ll all come down to polish, and how much he can improve his newborn craft over the course of the preseason. That’s a tough ask, but if Williams can untangle some of those “bad habits” he brought over from Detroit, he can resurrect what was once a budding NFL career.

Thanks for reading!

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