The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine begins on later this week. Gus Johnson and Trey Williams are set to arrive in Indianapolis on Wednesday. This week’s edition of their draft diary will cover what they are thinking as they get ready for the biggest job interview of their life.
Trey Williams is a dynamic, all-purpose running back from Texas A&M. He is a big time play maker. Speed is a big part of his game and it shows on the field when he hits the outside on a stretch play or as he explodes through a crease in the coverage in the return game. Posting an impressive 40 time is very important for a guy like Williams.
Williams said that the focus has been on getting displaying his speed when he runs the 40. “We have been doing light workouts, not doing too much. A lot of it is speed training, working on the treadmill and 40 stuff. It’s not too hard on me but we are getting work in. There has been an emphasis on starts and mostly speed.”
Confidence is not an issue for Williams as he prepares for the Combine. “I am confident in most aspects. We have worked on all of the tests. It’s just perfecting it now. I am very confident coming into this Combine. I am looking forward to attacking this 40.” He also shared what he is looking forward to at the Combine. “I can’t wait for the running back drills. The bench will be good too. I am 195 pounds and looking forward to getting at least 14 reps of 225 pounds on the bench.”
As mentioned previously, Williams is a do it all back. One of his many roles will be to catch the ball out of the backfield or even line up in the slot for a team. He is well aware of the importance of showing that he can do it all and said that he is training for everything. “We have worked on running routes and catching the ball. We have done the Combine running back drills. Catching the ball has never been an issue for me. I am getting better and better every day.”
Williams got the chance to talk Jacques Rodgers for advice. Rodgers was a Mr. Everything player as he entered the NFL just like Williams. He now plays a similar role on the Atlanta Falcons. “He is a cool, genuine guy. We spoke about what is about to happen at the Combine. I got some really good information from him. He was telling me about what they tell you, what they want from me and things like that at the Combine.”
As for the shoes that he will wear, Williams isn’t sure what he is going to what brand will be on his feet. “I am going to either wear Adidas or Nike, not sure which one. I might have to wear the Adidas because they’re giving out that Porsche to the fastest runner.” He plans to run in the 4.3/4.4 range.
Williams said that his favorite food out of all of the meals that United Sports Group (USG) provides for him is chicken and quinoa. He said that he listens to “Don’t Play” by Travis Scott before most of games. The Combine is going to be an exciting time for him but one thing that he isn’t looking forward to is the cold weather.
Gus Johnson is a small school prospect that just wants to go into the Combine and prove that he can perform in a big setting. “We focused on doing field work, ran through a lot of the drills to get them down and get familiar with them.” They worked on the tests such as the vertical and the broad jump. “A lot of the work that we went over has been about form and technique to clean things up a bit. When you get deep down into it, it’s all about muscle memory and training your body to do what it needs to do. We worked on some rep work in the weight room also.”
Being a small school prospect would make some nervous but that’s not the case for Williams. His philosophy is pretty simple. “I’m not nervous about it. To me, it’s either you got it or you don’t. My coaches always instilled that in me. You mess up when you get nervous so right now, I am just calm, cool and collective. I am ready to go show them what I can do.”
Johnson said that his diet has stayed the same, mostly proteins and little to no sugars. He also shared his music interest. “I’ve been listening to the new Drake and that’s pretty good so I will probably listen to that before I work out next week.”
There is no one particular thing about the Combine that stands out to Gus Johnson. “All of it stands out to me. Not one thing is bigger than the other. The interviews are just as important as the testing. Both are pretty big. I am looking forward to all of it.”
Trey Williams and Gus Johnson push each other. They are working out at The Athletic Sports Lab together. “I work with Trey every day. We push each other.” Johnson continued, “There is a group of about six or seven of us. Every day we are at the Lab talking noise to each other, making each other go harder. I like that because it’s not easy to work out by yourself and self-motivate. When you have others talking to you and pushing you, it is better. It helps me grow as an athlete. I appreciate it.”
Be sure to watch Gus Johnson and Trey Williams on the NFL Network when they work out at the Combine later this week. The next edition of their draft diary will take a look back on the week in Indianapolis.
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