Running back Jamaal Williams irritable, chirpy, productive during New Orleans Saints training camp

'I get impatient because I don't have the things that bring me peace...(but) we're all going through it together'

Aug 03, 2024 at 04:53 PM

John DeShazier

Senior Writer

Full coverage of the New Orleans Saints workouts during 2024 Training Camp at the University of California, Irvine on Tuesday, July 30, including running back Jamaal Williams (21).

Irvine, Calif. – The smiling face, pre-practice dance moves and playful banter partly are a mask the last few days because on Friday and Saturday at least, Jamaal Williams has been cantankerously chirpy – cover-the-kids'-ears chirpy – in training camp at Cal-Irvine.

The reason likely is two-fold.

First, Williams hasn't at all been in his peaceful happy place.

"Right now, I'm really going through it mentally," he said, smiling, after Saturday's practice. "I miss my cats, I miss my daughter. Just being out here – we're doing it football-wise, but I just miss the things that bring me peace when I'm done with football. And I ain't got it right now. I'm for sure sore and irritated at the moment.

"My home is with my cats and with my daughter. So I want my cats, and my daughter. I don't care where I am, I just want to come home to my cats and my daughter. That's it. I'm here for football, though, I'm ready to go. But that's why I'm a little irritated.

"I get impatient real quickly, because I don't have the things that bring me peace, that bring me happiness and soothe me. But I'm good, though. I'm happy to be here with my teammates, ready to go through the grind. We're going through it together. I'm grateful to be here with my teammates, we all understand what we're going through together and we're going to handle this together."

Second, if the New Orleans Saints defense wants to talk, well, the self-described introvert is more than willing to become an extrovert while he gives as much as he takes. And Friday and Saturday, he has been in the giving mood.

"It's just competitiveness, because literally after we're done, we say, 'Appreciate you, thank you.' It's really just us firing each other up," he said. "I'm grateful for my teammates, for just how they are.

"That's just how it is, and I think that's the professional part about it is that we can get ourselves riled up for practice, talk all this mess, then after practice we're, 'Good job, way to go, we know what our goal is.' So, it's just, that's the professional mind-set that I like about it is, we get ourselves ready to go. We don't need other people to get us going, our team does it together."

There's been much to talk about for Saints offensive players the last two practices, as the unit appears to have found a groove and stitched together several big plays in the run and pass game. Williams especially has been able to find the created creases and make positive gains, and everyone within earshot knows.

"It's about us being comfortable about it," Williams said of the offensive success. "I've seen it for so many years, just playing against it and now being able to be in it is a blessing. I'm just trying to do my best to play my role, do what I need to do to help this team be successful.

"And sometimes it's me getting us ready to go, stirring it up, having to talk ---- sometimes. I don't even like doing it, and that's a credit to my teammates on defense. Once you get me going, you have me for the rest of the day until we take these pads off. That's just my competitive drive and just how I am. I'm grateful for my teammates for bringing that out every day, because it's training camp. These are long days.

"Technically and for real, I'm sore and irritated. If you're not really practicing and doing what we're doing, I don't want to talk to you because you don't know what pain we're going through right now, and you don't know how mentally straining this is some days. But we've got to be professional about it and make sure we get our work done."

All-Access Photos: 2024 Saints Training Camp practice 8/3/24