Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams is projected to be an early selection in Thursday’s NFL draft. Before he kicks off his NFL career, he blocked out some time for a Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: I’ve always said I want to be an avalanche to the person I’m playing against, and I want them to feel helpless, like they’re trying to do things but they’re just not able to do it and I just keep coming. That’s how I want it to be all game. I just want it to be this kind of relentless avalanche, so to speak, of, “I can’t do anything with this guy.” I think that’s a lot more intimidating than like if I say something to ’em. That’s just never really been my game. I just want them to feel helpless.
Q: What can you see in their eyes in the fourth quarter?
A: I think you can see them getting off their game. They start trying to do things I’ve never seen ’em do on film and they’re not working. And then a lot of times guys start mouthing off at me, trying to get at me a little bit because they’re off their game. That’s kind of the last thing people resort to is talking. … When that starts happening, I know I’ve won that battle.
Q: Who is one defensive player in NFL history you would have loved to have tested your skills against?
A: So many guys … obviously LT [Lawrence Taylor], one of the greatest of all time. And honestly, LT is the reason that I think left tackle’s become such a huge position. I actually had the opportunity when I was in high school to interview [former 49ers left tackle] Steve Wallace ’cause I went to school with his son. And he talked about with how LT was scaring the league so much that they had to find left tackles that were good enough to stop him.
Q: I’ve seen you described as “The Intellectual.”
A: (Laugh) I think it’s true, but it makes me sound soft, and I think when I’m out on the field, I think if you asked some D-ends I’ve gone against if they think of me as an intellectual, I don’t think they’d say yes. I want to leave an impression on the player I’m going against, I want to be physical, I want to put my face mask against his, get my hands in his chest, and knock the wind out of him. That’s what I want to do. So I think to sit back and say I’m an intellectual sitting in some laboratory, that’s not what I do.
Q: OK, how about “The Technician”?
A: That’s a little bit closer (laugh). Just because I believe that that’s an extremely important part of the game, especially from an O-line perspective, and I think that’s a big difference between college and NFL, is in college there’s a bunch of talented guys, there’s a bunch of technical guys, there’s a couple that are both, and in the NFL, everyone’s talented and technical because you have to be. It’s such a competitive league and everyone’s so good that you have to be like that. So I think that’s true, but at the same time, I don’t want to lose the edge and lose the aggression that comes with playing offensive line and the violence and the nastiness ’cause I’m so technical. I want to have the best technique so I can beat my man, but I want to do it physically, I want to do it with an attitude.
Q: OK, here’s the next one: “The Terminator.”
A: (Laugh) I like that. I think that’s very calculated, cold, aggressive, violent.
Q: What is your definition of toughness?
A: Toughness comes down to what you can do on a regular basis despite any adversity, despite any discomfort, like being comfortable being uncomfortable. And I just think doing that repeatedly is what makes someone tough.
Q: Who are offensive linemen you’ve enjoyed watching other than [former Brown] Joe Thomas?
A: [Dallas’] Tyron Smith. … I like watching guys that I feel have a similar game to me, have similar kind of approaches and attitude. So I’ve been watching [San Francisco’s] Joe Staley, and had the opportunity to work with him when I was training out in Irvine [Calif.]. … [Atlanta’s] Jake Matthews, [Green Bay’s] David Bakhtiari, a couple of guys like that.
Q: What drives you?
A: I think it’s my desire to be the best, and just being competitive. I want to be the best at what I do. I want to do everything in my ability to make sure I’m the best player that I can be, so I can confidently sit there and say, “You know, I’ve done everything that I could.” I’m not gonna win every single play. I’ve certainly lost a ton of reps, but I want to be able to say, “The whole week in practice, I did everything I could to win every single rep. My preparation in the weight room, I never skipped a rep, I did extra reps. I never didn’t watch game of films, I didn’t feel like it. I’m always doing everything I can.” I can confidently say I feel like I’m the best offensive lineman in this class just because I know that I’ve done everything that I could in my career and in this last year specifically leading up to this to be able to say that.
Q: Is that why it ticks you off when you hear that some think your arms are a tad too short to play tackle?
A: Yeah, well I mean, what does it come down to? I think it comes down to: Can you get the job done? And I got the job done better than anyone, and I think in the NFL, that’s what it comes down to. At the end of the day, if you’re a lineman, it comes down to just blocking someone. It’s either gonna be a pass or run or screen, and can you block the man across from you? Can you block your assignment? And I’ve proven I can do that. I want to control the controllable. I want to be able to excel on everything that I can control, so that’s my practice habits. That’s what I do in the weight room, that’s what I do with field work, technique, watching film, studying myself, self-scouting, studying my opponents, things like that, that I can control. And then so it’s just irritating I guess hearing people throw that out and then to say, “Well if your arms were three-quarters of an inch longer, then we would think you can play the position.”
Q: How would you feel if you were asked to move to guard, or even center?
A: I’ll play a different position, but I was the best tackle in college football. That’s all I have to say on that front. I’m happy to help my NFL team however they want me to, but saying I can’t continue to play the position I’ve dedicated my life to and excelled at more than anyone else in the college game is absurd.
Q: What are your best and worst football moments?
A: A big goal of mine growing up was I just wanted to play football in the SEC. My parents went to SEC schools, I grew up an SEC fan. … There’s too many great moments, that’s why I love football, being a team sport, it’s so much rewarding when you do it with a group of people you worked your ass off with. Worst would probably be when I got hurt in the national championship game my sophomore season. It just sucked to have to come out and watch my team win, and I was stoked for them, but just from a personal standpoint it sucked to not be able to finish with them. But it gave me a new fire, it gave me a new passion, where I was like, “All right, I physically can’t live without football. I can’t live without this feeling of winning games, and the rewarding feeling of just like looking in your teammates’ faces and remembering the grind that you went through in the summer, in the spring, all the different training that we did.”
Q: What is Tua Tagovailoa like in the huddle?
A: Tua stays pretty even-keeled. He’s lighthearted. If he needs to call out a teammate, he does it in like a calm way. … We all appreciate him ’cause I think he makes us all look good. He’s kind of that glue that allows all of our talented players to shine.
Q: In 25 words or fewer, describe Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
A: Fiery leader … relentless competitor … indefatigable.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: Joe Thomas, and I’d say my parents were my role models growing up.
Q: You met Thomas at the combine.
A: To see him, and just kind of know that he’s aware of what I’m doing, it was definitely surreal.
Q: What is your go-to dish when you cook?
A: I can cook up a mean steak. I always cook it over the grill. A serving of jalapeño poppers.
Q: Why aren’t you on Twitter?
A: Back in the day, if somebody messes up, or somebody had a bad play or somebody had a bad game, people on their couches at home would talk to each other about it, “Ah, I wish this guy did better, this guy sucks, or this guy whatever.” Maybe the people around you will tell you, but you’re not gonna hear it from everyone. And then now we’re in a situation where these professional athletes can get off the field, change, pull their phone out of their locker and then literally Joe Shmoe or anyone that’s sitting on their couch or whatever that’s just [ticked] off that somebody messed up or somebody they feel like they cost ’em the game, and now this person has all this negativity from another person just go right on their phone, right in their faces. At the end of the day, people have a predisposition to be more negative than positive, and so there’s so much negative energy on Twitter, and it just shows up like it’s a notification on your phone what they said, and I just don’t want to give people that power.
Q: Who are athletes in other sports you admire?
A: Roger Federer. … I think he had that cold, calculated vibe about him, and he’s just a competitor. … LeBron [James] is a really inspirational guy, just being able to stay at the level that he is at for as long as he’s been able to stay there says a lot about his preparation and how he’s able to approach games.
Q: Do you have superstitions?
A: I never look at injuries or talk about injuries. I think that that can cause ’em (chuckle), I don’t know why. So if somebody gets hurt on TV, like in a game, I just leave the room until they don’t show it again or whatever. It’s bad karma. And then I always put my pads on and put my gear on in the same order, the same way.
Q: Hobbies?
A: Cooking. I like long drives with podcasts. I like reading Wikipedia articles, like random stuff about random things. Just seeing an idea why other people so passionate about things ’cause I’m so passionate about football. I want to know what makes other people tick.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: [John] Rockefeller, John Muir, Cleopatra.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Mulholland Drive.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Ryan Gosling.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Natalie Portman.
Q: Favorite entertainer?
A: Beyoncé.
Q: Favorite book?
A: “House of Leaves.”
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Start off with a calamari, that’s crucial. Maybe a wedge salad, blue cheese. A nice big ribeye, I’ve gotten into like bernaise sauce, that’s kind of a nice touch. Order the ribeye medium rare. Have like scalloped potatoes on the side and some asparagus. And finish it off with a bananas foster or crème brûlée.
Q: You’ve never been to New York City. How would you feel about playing here?
A: Honestly, I’m just excited to get drafted and start playing for a team, any team (chuckle), ’cause right now I’m like in this limbo. … Obviously New York’s an incredible city and there’s so much culture, and that kind of suits me and my types of interest as far as good and culture. I don’t think you can really top New York in those categories.
Q: During your visit to the Jets, did you get to talk to Sam Darnold?
A: I didn’t. I worked out alongside him a little bit when I was training for the combine and the Pro Day, ’cause he was working with the same speed guy that I was working with, and I kind of got a feel for his competitiveness ’cause he was trying to win all these ladder drills and stuff like that.
Q: What are your career goals?
A: You know it’s the NFL. You know that it’s the best of the best of the best, so I think right away I want to be able to start my rookie year, and I think that that’s definitely a feat in itself considering how good everyone is. I’d like to make Pro Bowls, be considered one of the best players at my position by defensive players, by teammates, by that I think earning respect. I know it’s a league where you come in and you have to pay your dues to earn respect. That’s what I had to do at Alabama. And eventually, in the spirit of wanting to be the best at what I do, it would be amazing to be in the Hall of Fame, but you gotta take baby steps first. I just want to focus on starting and winning games, winning a Super Bowl. That’s obviously one of the biggest feats you can do in the world, considering how hard it is to do in the NFL. Just to simplify I would say start, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl, Hall of Fame.
Q: I’m an NFL GM: Tell me why I should draft Jonah Williams.
A: You’re gonna get a great player, I think I proved I can play this game on a really high level, but I think more importantly than that, you’re gonna be getting the intangibles that come along with that. So I think any shortcomings that I’ve had, I’m gonna be working on harder than anyone else will be working on anything. You get a competitor, you get someone who is coachable — you tell me to do something, and I’m gonna make sure I’m the best at whatever you tell me to do. My love is football, this is what I love to do, this is what I want to dedicate my life to, so I’m not gonna have any distractions outside of that. I want to be a good teammate, I want to get along with my teammates, and have them feel like I’m fighting alongside them. I’ve been fortunate to play on winning teams, and I think I know what that takes. I just want to bring that culture and that attitude to whatever team I end up with.