With an ear-to-ear smile and an easy laugh that's quickly becoming his trademark, Quinnen Williams tackled the first day of New York Jets rookie orientation on Friday.
Sound bytes were in abundance for the 21-year-old defensive lineman out of Alabama, who admitted he was taking the experience all in, much of it just like a fan.
"I was like a little fan at first, cause, you gotta think about it, at the time, like seven months ago at Alabama], I didn't even know I was gonna start. So to be in this position right now, I'm like bro, that's crazy," Williams told the media [via the New York Post. "I met Le'Veon Bell yesterday. I'm like, 'Whoa, that's Le'Veon Bell, the No. 1 running back in the NFL.' It's just crazy. I know I'm one of the people, too, but I don't really look at it like that. I met Sam Darnold, that's crazy. Jamal Adams, I've got Jamal Adams on my ultimate team [in Madden NFL]. It's crazy."
"I think any time that you have a guy that we see as a really talented player, a guy that put a lot of good tape out there in his last year in college, add that to the group we already have, I think it's really going to be something that can help our defense, especially up the middle," Jets first-year coach Adam Gase said Friday. "The push up the middle is going to be big for us, especially in this division."
However, it's still unclear where the baby-faced man-child will line up. Under new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, Quinnen Williams could line up as a nose tackle, over the guard, maybe elsewhere. Wherever it may be, the rookie said he is open for anything and answered, as is becoming expected, with reason to smile.
"Wherever they put me at, I'm going to play," he said. "I'm going to go out there and try to dominate.
"If they put me at kickoff returner, I'm going to go crazy. They can put me at anything and I'm going to try to dominate."
Williams' pleasant demeanor was a stark contrast from his new head coach, who was a bit salty at the notion of any consternation between him and general manager Mike Maccagnan.
Gase did also note Williams' skills up the middle being a boon in the AFC East.
The new NFL DT admitted he's looking forward to tracking down the division -- and league -- standard for success in New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
"It's crazy because Tom Brady started playing in the NFL before I was born," Williams said. "To sack him would be amazing."
Williams' math fell short. Brady was a rookie in 2000 and Williams was born in December of 1997.
Nonetheless, in 2019, Williams is set to hit the field for the Jets. And if his first impression means anything, he'll be looking to dominate with a smile.
