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New Orleans Saints free safety Marcus Williams has had a career filled with more ups and downs than most. He had a great rookie year in 2017 that climaxed with one of the worst moments in recent sports history; that was followed up by an intense training camp but quiet sophomore year, in which Williams spent too much time second-guessing himself.
But now he’s back to his old self, if not playing at a higher level. Williams is tied for third in the NFL in interceptions (4), matching the mark set by cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Marcus Peters. It’s a tight race for the league title, with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Devin McCourty narrowly sharing the lead (5 each).
It’s even more impressive for Williams because it’s taken him just 10 games to match the number he put up in 16 games as a rookie. The sky might be the limit for him now that he’s fully acclimated to the game and moved on from some early mistakes. When asked whether he feels like he’s in something of a groove with interceptions in back-to-back games, including a win-clenching pick-six against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams downplayed his achievements.
“I just feel like I am in the same groove I’ve always been in. [I’m] just doing my job for the team,” Williams said during a conference call with New Orleans media. “Whatever I can do to help our team out. That’s just what I pride myself on, just doing what I can to help my team.”
It's not see ya later,
It's goodbye 👋🔥 @MarcusWilliams PICK-6 🔥 pic.twitter.com/INKmqvSSOM
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 17, 2019
However, Williams did take time to credit his success to diligent film study. He noticed Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston putting too much air underneath passes to the area of the field he was defending, and knew it would create an opportunity to go make a big play: “They’ve been doing that on film so I saw what was going to happen. [We] talked about it in the back end and just dissected the play. I just went and did my assignment and if you do your assignment, the play will come your way. That’s what happened yesterday.”
And he’s exactly what the Saints need right now. Williams, who celebrated his 23rd birthday back in September, has the talent to go out and make game-changing plays but the self-awareness to remain focused and continue putting in work behind the scenes. He’s a great role model to his teammates and someone who should be a core player for New Orleans for a long time.
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