Thursday, May 7: Even More On Edwin Williams
Posted by Matt Terl on May 7, 2009 – 9:18 am
I’ve been talking to undrafted free agent center Edwin Williams about his ongoing experience moving to the NFL from from the University of Maryland. We’ve been focusing mostly on the on-the-field and immediately-off-field aspects of his life, and there’s a bit more of that below — a brief post-minicamp wrap-up.
But Washington Post Maryland beat reporter Steve Yanda profiles a very different element of Williams’s life in a recent profile: his struggles growing up as a born addict, the child of two cocaine addicts. An excerpt:
Those who raised Williams during his formative years — the period in which his parents traveled up and down the East Coast in search of cocaine — take his perceived ignorance as an affirmation of their diligence. Williams’s grandparents, aunts and older sister shielded him as best they could. Had the family taken any other approach, he likely would not have graduated from the University of Maryland in 2008 with one season of eligibility left as an offensive lineman on the school’s football team. The chances of him being signed by the Washington Redskins as a 6-foot-3, 315-pound undrafted rookie would have been equally slim.
“We beat it into his head,” Cheron Williams said. “You don’t want to end up like your mom and dad. You don’t want to end up like your mom and dad. You don’t want to end up like your mom and dad.”
It’s a really excellent read, even if you think you’ve heard the story — or one just like it — before. Meanwhile, on the much less serious side of things, I talked to Williams as he prepared to leave the facility after the minicamp and got his thoughts on how things went and what it was like suiting up for the team he’s rooted for his whole life.
“Everything went well,” he said. “There’s just some things I need to polish up in my fundamentals and my technique. Their technique is not the same that I learned, so it’s gonna be some extra effort on my part in the upcoming days, weeks, and months to get that down.”
You still feeling pretty confident, though?
Williams: “I feel very confident in play-calling. I think last night has been very good for me — you know, I just studied down the plays. And basically, our offense in Maryland was very similar, just with different calls. So getting the calls down, I feel very confident about. I’ve just gotta get out there and execute it with the right technique the way that [offensive line coach] Joe Bugel wants it.”
Speaking of Joe Bugel, you grew up a Redskins fan.
Williams: “Oh, man, yeah.”
So what’s it like working with Joe Bugel?
Williams: “Actually, it’s …” he pauses for a second, then continues, “it’s amazing. Literally, Jon Jansen was playing here when I was in middle school.”
Have you told him that?
Williams: “Oh, heck no. I’m not gonna tell him that. But it’s just been great.” Mike Sellers walks by, and Williams says, “Him too.”
Were these the guys you looked up to?
Williams: “Absolutely. Mike Sellers? All these guys? These are people I’ve known. I’ve been a Redskins fan my whole life. It’s been a great experience for me. No matter what happens the rest of this offseason, I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.”
Tags: Edwin Williams, EdwinWilliams, minicamp
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