Yeah, Jaison Williams caught that pass. It was one of many.
There aren’t too many football players who will sit down, discuss the negatives with the positives, and give it to you straight every time. Of course, that’s often due to the fact that they’re out on a Viking ship pleasure cruise or busy icing a bum toenail while mulling over which excuse is up next in the rotation.
Not Jaison Williams. He doesn’t miss practices. He doesn’t miss games. And he doesn’t miss the point.
The point being that football is a game that millions dream of playing and only few actually get to. He doesn’t waste time griping about minor injuries because he’d rather be on the field taking advantage of his gifts and the privilege of being a professional grade athlete. He doesn’t sit out of combine drills when he’s sick because he knows that even if things don’t always go as planned, life isn’t about what happens to you, it’s about how you handle difficult situations.
Like spending countless hours pouring over film of your 40 yard dash, or living in the gym while improving your steps and passing on the temptations that grip other, less-dedicated athletes so that you can show up a few pounds lighter.
But that’s Jaison Williams. A freak of a receiver at 6-04 235 pounds with a redemptive 4.47 40 yard dash and a 36.5 inch vertical jump. A guy who relishes in punishing smaller defensive backs with a dominant downfield block. A guy who knows the value of studying the game off of the field. A guy who isn’t afraid to say that no receiver should ever drop a pass.
Even better, he’s a guy who doesn’t dwell on his mistakes if he does drop a pass. No, you won’t see Jaison Williams with his head hanging down. He’s too busy focusing on the next play, the next workout, the next opportunity to raise his game to another level. Because Jaison Williams is all about the upside.
Draft Zoo: I’ve got to tell you Jaison, I lived down in SEC country for a while, and I used to get some strange looks because I played with Oregon on EA Sports NCAA Football so I could throw the ball to that giant receiver that caught everything.
Jaison Williams: Really? [laughs] Well, hopefully at the next level they’ll do the same thing.
DZ: You ever play that game?
JW: Oh, all the time. That’s my favorite video game. Has been since I was a sophomore in high school.
DZ: Do you play with Oregon?
JW: Sometimes. I’m actually an SEC guy on the game. I love playing with Florida. Playing with Percy Harvin and [Tim] Tebow, and those three running backs that are all like 96 speed, it’s like a three-headed monster back there. I’m already up to like 2030 in my dynasty mode. I’ve gotten too good at it. I have to play with lower level teams so that it’s actually a challenge. The computer has no shot. [laughs].
DZ: As far as preparing for the real games, is there a certain song you like to listen to or a ritual you go through?
JW: It’s kind of funny. I’ll start out listening to Lil’ Wayne, then some Jay-Z. Then it gets into Gym Class Heroes. Then I’ll get into Coldplay right out of nowhere. I play songs that relate to what I’m trying to accomplish or how I’m feeling when I’m about to play. Just something about those songs that gets me pumped.
DZ: I listen to No Rain by Blind Melon to get pumped before writing, so I understand about Coldplay. What was it like to be a receiver at a school with such a strong ground game?
JW: It was actually fun. At times it could be frustrating, because you know everybody wants the football. But when you understand what you’ve got in the backfield and the comaraderie of the team, it flows. I know what I can do when I get the ball so it gave me some time to focus on blocking and getting downfield and being a blocker there too. I had no problem with it at all.
DZ: You mentioned blocking. Do you feel like your size/speed combo gives you an advantage when you’re blocking?
JW: I believe so. Hopefully [my] size is an intimidating factor, and I think it has been for me. There have been times when all I’ve done is get in a guy’s way. Or sometimes you get down on the ground and cut [block] a guy, or basically just manhandle a guy all the way down the field. Or even get a crackback. Really, just making myself available for the running backs.
DZ: I think you’ve got it down judging by your running attack. Speaking of which, you did a great job in the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma State.
JW: Oh yeah, those guys talked a lot of trash. They’re a Big 12 team, and they planned on coming out an intimidating us with their size. Wasn’t gonna happen. We had some of the most strong-willed guys, and we always played like we had something to prove. So the first thing we did when we went out there was try to smack them as hard as we could. And [we] did it.
DZ: The Big 12 was suspect on the defensive side of the ball all year. You had a pretty nice game to go out on in that one. Did you notice any differences between their secondary and the one’s you faced in the Pac 10?
JW: Not to take anything away from them, but they didn’t seem as ready to face a spread attack. The only times they 
really faced a true spread were less than the teams in the Pac 10 have to. You know like maybe against Oklahoma, Baylor or sometimes Nebraska. The Pac 10 is kind of an “air it out” conference, no matter what set the team is in. If a Pac 10 team ran the wishbone, they’d find a way to throw it. So, some of our DBs are more pass-savvy, more technically sound. I think they were more focused on our running game, so it was easier to get a feel for coverages because they didn’t disguise them very much.
DZ: It worked. Now about those spread offenses, there’s a lot of talk about how receivers from a spread system don’t run NFL routes as often as other guys. Do you feel like you got to run a lot of routes that will translate to the NFL?
JW: I think so. The only thing I probably won’t run [in the NFL] with me being so big is a screen. And I made a lot money off of that play in college. It’s basically just the route tree. There weren’t a lot of deep crosses, but sometimes we ran all hitches. We ran a lot of routes based on where the DB was. We ran a lot of curls, a lot of digs. I don’t think it’s the specific routes that will set some guys back, I think it’s the combination of the routes. Like how far do you spread the field with other guys around, stuff like spacing. What kind of guys are going to be able to get between the safety and the linebacker and catch the ball, especially when some guys are used to just being outside one-on-one with the corner. You’ve only got a couple of weeks to get acclimated to the game, and I think I can do it.
DZ: You played with a couple of different quarterbacks throughout your career, but I want to ask you about the transition from Dennis Dixon to Jeremiah Masoli, who took a little time to get in the groove with the passing game.
JW: Definitely. I would have loved to play with Dennis again, but he was a year older than us, and he’s doing really well now. The thing with Jeremiah was that he didn’t get to start right away. We kept switching between him and [Justin] Roper so he didn’t have a chance to get adjusted. But once he won the starting job, you could tell the light bulb really came on for him halfway through the season. And he realized that he was a dual-threat. He has an immaculate arm. He can throw the ball in a tight spiral like 70 yards if he wants to. Plus he can run so well, and it’s hard for guys to contain him. I’m glad he found his niche. He’s a great leader, he’s a warrior, and I’m glad he got it toward the end of the season. He really played some great games.
DZ: I want to talk to you some about your senior season. I know some scouts are focusing on dropped passes and lower production last year, especially since you were so productive as a sophomore and a junior. What are your thoughts on that?
JW: Well, some of it had to do with playing with a new quarterback after having the same guy back there for almost 
three seasons. We really shifted our game, and stopped airing it out as much. Like I said, I didn’t have a problem with it, and it gave me a chance to work on some of the other nuances of the game. It’s easier to point out a drop when there are fewer passes thrown your way. I didn’t drop too many, but they stuck out more. I don’t want to say I wasn’t given a fair rap because no receiver is supposed to drop balls. Period. But I think the dip in passes thrown my way made the drops stand out. I like to focus on what I can bring to a team, even if other guys focus on some of the negatives. I see myself as an asset more than a liability because I’m a bigger body, I’m very knowledgeable. What I was doing wrong was taking my eyes off the ball, and I’ve been working to fix that. Whatever I’ve done wrong, I’m fixing. Whether it’s first day, second day, or free agent it doesn’t matter. I just want the opportunity, and I think I can produce for whoever takes me.
DZ: I like that answer. You talked about it some, but what do you think your biggest strengths are?
JW: I think I’m very smart about the game. I’m not a guy that gets penalties. I can understand and identify coverages and blitzes. And just being bigger than most DBs. It’s exciting to think about those great NFL running backs setting up a block for me so I can offer them some help in the running game. I’m not a blazer, but I’ve got decent speed. I need to fine tune some things, but I’m excited about getting coached in the NFL.
DZ: That 4.47 pro day 40 was pretty close to blazing. Let’s flip it around here. What about your biggest weakness?
JW: My biggest weakness would be not being consistent enough. I can talk all I want about what I can do with the ball in my hands, but it’s about being more consistent. That’s kind of the general consensus on my weaknesses from scout is that I’m inconsistent. So, if I can work on that, I’ll be a better receiver. It’s all about doing it day in and day out. All the time.
DZ: Out of all the crazy numbers that scouts look at, what would you say is your best measurable? Which one are you most proud of?
JW: The one I’m most proud of… My yards after catch (YAC) average. I can take a five yard hitch and turn it into 16-20 yards. I’m a big guy, so I think that yards after the catch are really, really important. No one expects a6-04 235 pound guy to catch the ball and fall down. They expect me to turn upfield and be elusive. I can do those things. So I hope that’s appealing. I’ve averaged 15, 14, 16, and 12 at different times. That’s a first down, you know. I think that’s a good number on a page to look at.
DZ: I don’t know too many people that want to tackle a 6-04 235 guy with 4.47 speed. How do you use your size to your advantage?
JW: We all know how fast and quick defensive backs are. That’s a general rule for a receiver that the back is probably going to be as fast as you are. He’ gonna be in your hip pocket sometimes. What’s important for most guys with good size is to play basketball. Post [the defensive back] up. Maybe you can use your size to out-jump him. Or get a hand on him so that he can’t get to the ball. Just putting yourself in position so the quarterback has a place to throw the ball where only you can get it. It’s really up to us to maneuver our bodies where only we can catch the ball.
You ran a great 40 at your pro day. What kind of drills did you do to get that time down from your combine run?
JW: Well, when I ran at the combine I was sick. And I know that might sound like a bogus excuse, but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t perform well because I put myself under a lot of added pressure. So when I got back, I made a pact with myself that I couldn’t go out like that. I knew I was a lot better than that. The first thing I did was talk to my nutritionist 
about what I could do in that area. And he helped me drop some extra weight that didn’t need to be there. Then I talked to my agent. He flew me out to Tampa to workout with Rick Lansky at O.P.T.I. and we worked on everything from my start to my finish. I watched film of myself running and saw that I stood straight up at the combine when I started. I worked on my steps for the L run and the shuttles. Those are all things that I took back with me and am still doing right now because I want to stay in shape.
When I got to my pro day I knew it was my time to impress these guys. I felt like I’d messed up my first interview, so this was my second interview. I went out and I ran a 4.47, a 4.48, and even a 4.52, but that was because some guys had arthritis in their hands — don’t tell them I said that. [laughs]. But you could definitely tell the numbers were different. I even added an inch to my vertical jump. My L run went down tremendously, and so did my shuttles. I performed inadequately in Indianapolis, and I wanted to prove to them that that’s not the guy I am. So I had to work twice as hard when I got back, and that’s what I did.
DZ: I think it paid off, those are some impressive numbers. Alright, just a few more. Who was the best DB you played against in college?
JW: Sure, no problem. Hmmm, the best DB I played against. This is going to be funny, but most of the guys in the Pac 10 I did alright against. I would have to say it was my own defensive backs I practiced against everyday. It was really a combination of two guys: Walter Thurmond and Jairus Byrd. Jairus is smarter than I am, and I consider myself a smart football player. His dad was a DB coach for the Bears, so he really knows the game. He was strong, physical, and always game-ready. So I got the physical stuff from him, and then the speed and agility from Walter. Walter was a real ball-hawk. He jumped on anything that was running or moving. He almost led the team in tackles from the corner spot. He gets his nose dirty. So really, getting to practice against both of them everyday, and combining what I learned, it made it easier for me on Saturday.
DZ: Yeah, there weren’t too many secondaries last year as talented as yours. What about at the next level? Any pro DBs you’re looking forward to playing against?
JW: I don’t know. I really just want to play. At that level, everyone is the best of the best. So playing against anyone I think I could get taught a lesson, and I can teach a lesson. I just want the opportunity to play, and whoever I play against is going to be the cream of the crop. So I don’t have any specific DB I want to play against. I’ll probably be startstruck the first play anyway. [laughs]. You know, like “wow, I’m playing NFL football.”
DZ: What about the other side of the ball. Is there a player you like to watch or model your game after?
JW: [laughs]. I consider myself to be the poor man’s Randy Moss, because I’m not as fast. But I would really love the chance to play with or learn from [Larry] Fitzgerald. He’s just an amazing receiver. He and Anquan Boldin are guys that aren’t the fastest, but they’re blue collar. They just go out and play the game, and they want to play every week. There aren’t any excuses. They’ll bandage whatever they have to in order to play. Fitzgerald catches everything. I’m going to be known as a possession receiver. I’m not a real speedy guy, so if I can watch him and learn from him, I’ll be doing some good things.
DZ: It’s important to be able to play through pain. There aren’t too many guys that don’t get banged up in the NFL.
JW: Oh yeah. Definitely. I don’t think theres ever been a time when I didn’t play or practice. You never know when something can be taken away from you, so you have to take advantage of every opportunity and play every play.
DZ: Is there a specific NFL team that you have your eye on? Or are there any teams that are showing more interest than others?
JW: That’s the foggy part of all of this. [laughs]. I wish someone would come out and tell me exactly what’s going to happen. But no one knows what round I’ll go in or where I’ll end up.
As for me, I’d love to play anywhere on the East Coast or the West Coast. Up and down the coast. I would love to be a Giant, a Panther, a Buccaneer. But at the same time, I would love to be a Seahawk, a 49er, or a Charger. [laughs]. Honestly though, I just want to play. I’ll go anywhere. I’ll go to the middle of the country. I just want the opportunity and God will take care of the rest.
DZ: Well, I’d be willing to bet that there’s a decent market for giant receivers with good body control and 4.47 speed. Thanks for taking the time, Jaison, and good luck with everything. Even if you have to play in Denver, where there is no ocean.
JW: Thank you too. I’ll be happy anywhere. As long as I get the opportunity, I’ll be happy.
