Photo by: UNC Athletic Communications
GoHeels Exclusive: Antonio Williams Q&A
August 7, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
In a North Carolina running back room loaded with talent and experience, no player boasts more of the latter than Antonio Williams.
Speaking with reporters after UNC's fifth training camp practice on Tuesday – the team's first in full pads – the veteran shared some thoughts on the offensive line and his unit's immense potential, among other topics. The following is an excerpt from the interview.
Q:Â How is the offensive line coming along?
Antonio Williams:Â The offensive line looked really, really good today. They've gotten better every single day. They're being very physical. Guys are just coming together and understanding the system better. When guys understand the system better, it opens up more holes for the (running) backs and the quarterbacks get more time. Everything happens like it's supposed to happen.
Q:Â What do you think they're doing really well?
AW:Â I can tell that from last year, just in general, the guys who are back seem a lot more mature. They're communicating a lot more. In the backfield, they're pointing and letting us know who we've got if somebody is coming off the edge. It's the little things that are mattering.
Q:Â Brian Anderson at center is kind of a new player there. What can you tell us about him?
AW:Â I think Brian is a nice bad guy. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and I love watching him. He's very physical, he's a ball and he just goes. I'm excited to see what he's going to do because he's such a good guy and he works so hard. He's a good player, too.
Q:Â What's the best way to describe this running back room?
AW:Â Exciting. Just very exciting. You've got Javonte (Williams), you've got (Michael Carter), you've got me, you've got British (Brooks), you've got Josh (Henderson). We all can make something happen. We all have different running styles and are all guys who I think are definitely NFL-caliber running backs. I think every single dude in that room is going to play in the NFL. I'm biased, obviously, but I think we've got the best running back room in the country.
Q:Â What's possible for that group?
AW:Â I think we've got a few 1,000-yard rushers in that room. I definitely think that. Possibly three.
Q:Â Michael Carter talked a lot about you guys getting challenged by the coaching staff coming into the first day in pads. He said some of the coaches were calling y'all "soft." Did you prove them wrong today?
AW: Most definitely. We don't consider ourselves soft at all, but as coaches, that's their job – to motivate people and get them going a little better. This staff is so good at doing that. They can find the little things and get you motivated and get you wanting to go out there and play every single day. Guys came out there today and they were more physical. I think this was honestly the most physical day we've had. But the good thing about it is they know how to motivate you, but they also know how to teach football in a way to not let guys get hurt. Like I said, this is the most physical day we've had, but no guys were on the ground.
Q:Â How do they take advantage of the competition that's taking place at all the positions as far as motivating you guys, as well?
AW:Â If that doesn't motivate a player by itself, I don't think you should be out here. You should be out here to compete every single day. And knowing we have the depth at every position that we have now, that's a huge motivating factor, and that's just going to make every single guy better every day. I know I'm better every day because I'm competing against (Carter) and Javonte and the other guys. I know that's making me better.
Q:Â Can you briefly walk us through what happens after a morning practice in camp?
AW: You get out of practice and then you go and eat lunch. … Then right after that, you go on back to the hotel. So we get a little break. Guys get to go back, or you can stay here and we've got the sleep pods in the team lounge. You can stay there and get a little rest, watch some film, do whatever you need to do to recover. Then you come back and we have team meetings for the rest of the day. … Treatment can happen in between that time when you're getting your rest, and it happens at night when you go back to the hotel. So you've got two different times you can get treatment.
In a North Carolina running back room loaded with talent and experience, no player boasts more of the latter than Antonio Williams.
Speaking with reporters after UNC's fifth training camp practice on Tuesday – the team's first in full pads – the veteran shared some thoughts on the offensive line and his unit's immense potential, among other topics. The following is an excerpt from the interview.
Q:Â How is the offensive line coming along?
Antonio Williams:Â The offensive line looked really, really good today. They've gotten better every single day. They're being very physical. Guys are just coming together and understanding the system better. When guys understand the system better, it opens up more holes for the (running) backs and the quarterbacks get more time. Everything happens like it's supposed to happen.
Q:Â What do you think they're doing really well?
AW:Â I can tell that from last year, just in general, the guys who are back seem a lot more mature. They're communicating a lot more. In the backfield, they're pointing and letting us know who we've got if somebody is coming off the edge. It's the little things that are mattering.
Q:Â Brian Anderson at center is kind of a new player there. What can you tell us about him?
AW:Â I think Brian is a nice bad guy. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and I love watching him. He's very physical, he's a ball and he just goes. I'm excited to see what he's going to do because he's such a good guy and he works so hard. He's a good player, too.
Q:Â What's the best way to describe this running back room?
AW:Â Exciting. Just very exciting. You've got Javonte (Williams), you've got (Michael Carter), you've got me, you've got British (Brooks), you've got Josh (Henderson). We all can make something happen. We all have different running styles and are all guys who I think are definitely NFL-caliber running backs. I think every single dude in that room is going to play in the NFL. I'm biased, obviously, but I think we've got the best running back room in the country.
Q:Â What's possible for that group?
AW:Â I think we've got a few 1,000-yard rushers in that room. I definitely think that. Possibly three.
Q:Â Michael Carter talked a lot about you guys getting challenged by the coaching staff coming into the first day in pads. He said some of the coaches were calling y'all "soft." Did you prove them wrong today?
AW: Most definitely. We don't consider ourselves soft at all, but as coaches, that's their job – to motivate people and get them going a little better. This staff is so good at doing that. They can find the little things and get you motivated and get you wanting to go out there and play every single day. Guys came out there today and they were more physical. I think this was honestly the most physical day we've had. But the good thing about it is they know how to motivate you, but they also know how to teach football in a way to not let guys get hurt. Like I said, this is the most physical day we've had, but no guys were on the ground.
Q:Â How do they take advantage of the competition that's taking place at all the positions as far as motivating you guys, as well?
AW:Â If that doesn't motivate a player by itself, I don't think you should be out here. You should be out here to compete every single day. And knowing we have the depth at every position that we have now, that's a huge motivating factor, and that's just going to make every single guy better every day. I know I'm better every day because I'm competing against (Carter) and Javonte and the other guys. I know that's making me better.
Q:Â Can you briefly walk us through what happens after a morning practice in camp?
AW: You get out of practice and then you go and eat lunch. … Then right after that, you go on back to the hotel. So we get a little break. Guys get to go back, or you can stay here and we've got the sleep pods in the team lounge. You can stay there and get a little rest, watch some film, do whatever you need to do to recover. Then you come back and we have team meetings for the rest of the day. … Treatment can happen in between that time when you're getting your rest, and it happens at night when you go back to the hotel. So you've got two different times you can get treatment.
Players Mentioned
Offensive Line
/ Football
Running Back
/ Football
Running Back
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