Chicago Bears: Why Trayveon Williams could be the RB to target in NFL Draft

Q&A with Trayveon Williams

DaWindyCity (DWC): Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us as you prepare for the NFL Combine. I hear you’re out in San Diego training. How is that going?

Trayveon Williams (TW): Great man. I’m really attacking it. I’m out here working out with Exos, which is a great organization helping me get ready for the Combine. We’re working out three to four times per day, and getting everything right through nutrition and PT, and unlocking all of the potential in your body. The way I’ve been approaching it is that if you want to be a professional you have to train like a professional.

DWC: You’ve overcome a lot of adversity to get to this point. How has that shaped you as a person and a football player?

TW: I feel like I’ve been through a lot of adversity, but at the end of the day it has molded me into a great young man. I’ve been blessed to have two sets of parents. I have my mom and dad but also my aunt and uncle who I also call ‘mom and dad.’ Through this process, I’ve had a great support system from my family and there are three things that are important to me — faith, family, and football. My faith in God has instilled in me the great morals I need to be a great person and not just a great football player. All the support I’ve had it’s allowed me to work and have something to grind for on the football field. Everything I do, I grind for my family, and everything I’ve been through has helped me be a better leader and a better football player.

DWC: The game immediately after Hurricane Harvey, you rushed for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns against UCLA.  What was that experience like?

TW: That whole experience is something I’ll never forget. I was in California preparing for the UCLA game and it was tough knowing my family was going through that back home and I couldn’t be there with them to help. But at the same time, I had to be a leader for my team and University. It was hard but it worked out. Materialistic things can be replaced, but the lives of your family can’t. But once I knew they were alright I feel like I carried that into the game. I played for them and played my heart out.

DWC: Besides your aunt and uncle, who were some of the biggest influences in your life growing up?

TW: My cousins and my grandfather and grandma. I had a big support system. My grandfather first got me into football around the age of four. We’d be in the backyard throwing the football and I immediately fell in love with it. I’m so thankful he showed me that.

DWC: You had a huge jump from your Sophomore to Junior season. What do you attribute that to?

TW: Just the grind. Throughout that offseason, I made a list of goals and put them in my reminders. To this day they still pop up. It was just a great season with me and my brothers. And the hiring of Jimbo Fisher. That was pivotal. And we got Jerry Schmidt as our strength and conditioning coach from Oklahoma and he really made a big difference, along with that pro-style offense Jimbo Fisher brought.

DWC: You seemed to adjust to Jimbo Fisher’s new offense really well.  Talk to me a little bit about that process and what that was like.

TW: It definitely wasn’t easy at all learning a new, pro-style offense. Going from a spread offense to a pro-style wasn’t easy. The pro-style offense is really complex, but it’s nothing that your body can’t do. When I was done with my school work I studied my playbook so I didn’t have to think on the field — it just became second nature and allowed me to play fast.

DWC: What were some of the biggest things you took away from your experience at Texas A&M?

TW: You might face adversity but who you are as a person is what you have to fall back on. You have to keep the faith and keep grinding. Situations may be tough and things may not be perfect but you can write your own story if you really grind. So you have to set goals and achieve them through hard work and a great work ethic.

DWC: Are there particular running concepts or schemes that fit your game?

TW: That pro-style offense. It was really fun. I enjoyed zone reads — outside zone, inside zone. When you get in that pro-style offense you realize it’s really just a numbers game. When you line up you want to get the good numbers where you can get a ‘hat for a hat’ and be one-on-one with a safety or corner and make those guys miss. I enjoyed all of it because I wasn’t just running but catching the ball out of the backfield.  I really enjoyed everything about that offense.

DWC: Your receptions have increased every year. Is that something you’ve been working on specifically?

TW: Yeah definitely. Every day after practice it was a big priority for me to stay after practice and catch a few more balls and work on it throughout the offseason. I want to expand my worth to this offense, so anything I could improve on I wanted to do. And with the pro-style offense, we caught the ball out of the backfield a lot and I really enjoyed that.

DWC: You are excellent at pass protection and seem to take a lot of pride in that aspect of your game.  Is that fair to say?

TW: Oh yeah — best in the draft. I take a lot of pride in it because when I first got to college as a freshman people said I couldn’t pass protect because I was too small. I really hit the offseason strong and made pass pro one of my top goals and top focuses. I improved my technique and hand strength. I went out this year and had an outstanding year in pass pro. And if anyone has any questions on my pass pro they just need to pull out the tape.

DWC: You ran for a school-record 1760 yards (good for third in the nation) and have the second most total scrimmage yards of anyone at the Combine. How are you able to be so productive?

TW: Really just the grind and the pro-style offense I was in. It carries right over to the NFL so I definitely think it will carry over.

DWC: What would you say are some of your strengths as a running back?

TW: Definitely my vision. Vision is a big-time thing and my acceleration. Guys might say I’m short but I’m extremely strong. I squat over 600 pounds. I can make guys miss, I have speed, and can catch the ball. I think those are all some of my strengths.

DWC: What separates you from other running backs in this class?

TW: I would say consistency. I can be a great player from start to finish — throughout the entire game. I feel like I’m one of the best finishers in the draft. The fourth quarter is pivotal and I get even stronger as the game goes on. So I feel like that separates me from others in the draft. I just love this game of football and feel like I can make plays happen with or without the ball in my hands.

DWC: Is there a running back in the NFL you like to model your game after?

TW: Yeah, it’s crazy because me and my boy ‘AK,’ Alvin Kamara — that’s my guy. We definitely agree that both our games are similar. We definitely feel like we both have the same kind of game makeup. And when we played against each other head to head my freshman year, we were going back and forth so I definitely feel like we have the same skill set.

DWC: What are your goals for the NFL Combine?

TW: I just really want to showcase my talents athletically. I feel like my tape matches up so I just want to showcase my speed at an elite level and my agility as well as catching the ball out of the backfield. I also want to make sure my 40 pops off the sheet, and showcase my hands.

DWC: Is there an aspect of your game that you think might be underrated that perhaps people are sleeping on a little bit?

TW: Change of direction. I know a lot of people underrate my change of direction but I feel like at the Combine I’ll really showcase my agility and change of direction.

DWC: What are some of your interests off the field?

TW: I like photography. When I’m not around football I like to take pictures. Everyone says a picture is worth a thousand words and I definitely feel like I want my picture to be that thousand words.

DWC: With so much discussion about mock drafts, and evaluations, how do you stay focused?

TW: Just stay true to myself and take it day by day. If I just do what I have to, stay dialed in and prepare at a high-level things will work out.

DWC: Did you get a chance to watch any Chicago Bears games last year?

TW: Yeah I got to watch a good amount. I was really impressed with Tarik Cohen. They really like to use their backs out of the backfield. They like to put the ball in his hands, put him in space, and let him make plays.

DWC: What are your thoughts about possibly playing in Chicago?

TW: I would definitely enjoy it. They really trust their running backs and take pride in their running backs. They take pride in getting them the ball and they trust them. So if Chicago gave me that opportunity I would be excited to do that for them.

DWC: Have you had any discussions with the Bears?

TW: Yes, I’ve been in contact with their scouts there and they’re excited about me as well and what I can do. So I’m excited to see how this works out and how everything goes.

DWC: What are your plans for draft night?

TW: Still deciding on that but probably have a party back home in Houston, Texas. Do something with the family. I don’t want this moment just to be big for myself but to be big for my family. They really helped me and allowed me to be in this position so I want this to be special for them as well.