Gage Johnson
Sports Editor
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
After dissecting OVC offenses for four years, former Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams is already making a name for himself two weeks into his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Since earning the week one starting nod for the Jaguars, Williams is third amongst all rookies in total tackles with 20 (14 solo, 6 assisted).
For those who watched Williams during his time as a Racer, these numbers may not be surprising, but to many Williams was a reach when taken 98th overall by the Jaguars.
Many viewed him as the brother of No. 3 pick defensive lineman Quinnen Williams rather than the linebacker with 78 solo tackles and 111 total tackles in his senior season. With him not being on many teams’ radars, it was a thrill for Quincy to get the call from Jacksonville.
“I wasn’t really sure where I was going to go,”Quincy said. “I had heard free agency and I heard anywhere from third or fourth [rounds]. When I got the call it was kinda crazy, this is just a true blessing.”
While many had their doubts about Quincy, Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell and Head Coach Doug Marrone knew he would fit in well with their defensive scheme.
“We think he’s a pretty good player,” Caldwell said. “We do like the big school guys, but we’ll take a guy in that fringe range where you take the guy and trust your scouting staff. His speed and his ability to strike people. You watch some of the tape; he’s an explosive athlete and can close ground and make plays on the ball. He’s everything we preach on defense.”
While Quincy has been able to come in and contribute, most notably with his nine-tackle performance—six solo tackles—against the Houston Texans, his starting opportunity was almost nonexistent.
It was reported in early August that Quincy tore his meniscus in practice and was expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. However, that wasn’t going to stop Quincy from making his NFL debut during week one.
“The biggest thing was the want to,” Quincy said. “You have to break it down and say ‘I want to get better’ and stuff like that and actually believing in the process and trusting the process. That gave me six weeks to get healthy, but I wanted to be prepared for week one so that’s what I did.”
Once he was completely healthy, Quincy’s work in camp led to Marrone telling him he would start for the Jaguars in week one.
“At first it was kind of a big weight on my shoulder,” Williams said. “But then a lot of my teammates like Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareous and Myles Jack just let me know it’s still football, it’s just on a bigger stage.”
Being able to play alongside and learn from athletes such as Campbell, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and some of the best the NFL has to offer is something Williams has had fun with.
“I play right next to Myles Jack, right behind Marcell Dareus, right in front of Yannick,” Williams said. “It’s amazing.”
Along with the support of his teammates, getting to live this dream with his brother Quinnen is something that Quincy will cherish as he continues his career.
“We talk every single night,” Quincy said. “So you have that person that understands what you’re going through. We came from the same household, same mom, same dad, so it’s like talking to yourself but he’s at another team so we’re understanding and helping each other a lot.”
While Quincy’s early success hasn’t come easily, getting adjusted to life in the NFL on and off the field is a crucial thing Quincy has had to tackle.
“One of the biggest things is getting adapted to the NFL,” Quincy said. “The game speed, getting used to on-the-field stuff, off the field, living; it’s been amazing. The city is a whole lot bigger. Murray looks like a neighborhood compared to Jacksonville. The fans are still huge and the stadium is louder, but Murray is my home.”
His favorite part of his NFL experience so far—practicing—has been a huge help in making the adjustments to the professional football life.
“My favorite part is actually practice,” Quincy said. “Being out there with my teammates, joking around, listening to music the whole practice and in the locker room getting to gel with my teammates is my favorite part.”
Quincy plans to continue the high-level play he has sustained to this point and to keep answering the questions fans and scouts had when he entered the league.
“When I got drafted, the biggest thing was ‘Who is Quincy Williams?’” Quincy said. “So now I want to show people who I am rather than just telling them who I am. My biggest thing was I’ve been doing this my whole life, so I didn’t let that get to me and just played football and lived up to the hype.”