New Orleans Saints Safety Marcus Williams
Conference Call with New Orleans Media
Friday, April 28, 2017

What is your reaction to being drafted by the Saints?
"It's a great feeling just hearing my name called I can't even explain it right now with all my family around. Being able to come and be a part of that organization it's amazing. It's really amazing and I can't wait to get out there and start this new journey in my life and be able to get my name (called). I can't even talk I'm so excited, but I'm happy I got picked by the Saints because I feel like that's where I need to be and I'm happy that's where I got called."

Were they one of the teams that you thought would be interested in you?
"I felt like I had a good opportunity when I met with the coaches and I had a good vibe going into it, but you never know what is going to happen in the draft. Everybody is always switching up. I'm just excited they continued to stick with me and excited to be a part of the organization."

Which coaches did you meet with?
"I met the DB coaches. I can't even remember their names, but right now I can't remember anyone's name."

Can you describe your game a little bit? Do you see yourself as a centerfielder?
"I feel like I do a lot of things well. I feel like I take away the ball. I am able to get sideline to sideline. I am that guy that wants to take that ball away regardless where I am at and I can make tackles. I just feel like each and every day I get better at my game. At the end of the day I'm just going to continue to get better and be that safety wherever they play me up in the box, back in the post. I feel like I can do it regardless if I haven't done it before because that is just my mentality. I feel like I'm just that type of player and I have a lot of confidence and that is the type of person they are getting with me."

How did they use you at Utah?
"Mostly I played centerfielder. So I was that sideline to sideline guy. Just back there getting interceptions and stuff, and that is usually how they use it."

Did they play a lot of single high?
"We played a lot of single high. That was our base coverage. I was always in the post."

Where do you think your ball skills come from?
"I did play basketball and football for a pretty long time. I just worked at it every day. I played receiver in high school. I have good hands and that's what I attribute it to. Just keeping working on it every day. I can't be perfect at anything right now but that is what I work for every day is to be that perfectionist. That is how I get better each day."

Did you play basketball in high school too?
"Yes sir, I did."

What position?
"I played one, two or three. I pretty much played everything. It just depending on where they needed me and I pretty much did everything they wanted me to do."

You got the big vertical, were you a human highlight reel on the basketball court?
"I dunked on a couple of people. I'm just an all-around player that could go get tips/dunks. I'd defend all their best players and that is what I was doing."

You said earlier that the Saints were the team you needed to be with, why?
"I am saying that because the team that picks you, that means they feel like you are the person that they feel like needs to be there. With them picking me I feel like I was destined to go to the Saints and I am just happy that I was able to meet with those coaches and they are still thinking about me. Now, I can come to the draft and get drafted by them (that) is unbelievable. I didn't think I was going to be in this spot when I was younger. It is a true blessing to get picked up."

What do you know about Vonn Bell and Kenny Vaccaro and the other safeties around here on the team?
"I heard they are really good veterans and I'm just happy that I can come up there and learn from those guys. It's all about learning and getting better each day and never taking it for granted. Each thing I can learn and help my game/improve my game will make the team better. Regardless of where I am playing."

Marcus, it says you were a civil engineering major, where were you at with that now that you're coming into the league?
"I'm pretty far away from completing it, but I switched my major to Sociology. Now I'm almost done with my Sociology degree, and I'll finish that in about a semester and a half."**

You ever spend any time in New Orleans?**
"I've never been to New Orleans, no."

Anything you excited about once you get here?
"I'm just excited to come there, meet all the coaches again, be able to be with the team, and just see how it's like to be in New Orleans."

People like to write pros and cons before the draft about players. What's maybe the one thing about you that might be a misconception that you'd like people to know?
"I feel like, the only misconception I have is maybe that I'm not a hard hitter, maybe I'm not a hard hitter, or maybe it's not the hard hitter thing. It's more of that I can't tackle and I feel like I'm a pretty good tackler and I don't miss many tackles. So that kind of upsets me because I never miss that many tackles before and they say "Marcus misses (too) many tackles" and that's not the type of player I am. I'm getting them to the ground, no matter how I'm doing it."

We will dig up your tape I am sure. How did you do against guys in the Pac-12 like John Ross and Juju Smith?
"I did not play John Ross this year. I did not see him last year and if he did play I do not remember him. But Juju, he is a pretty good player, but I just did my job and my team did their job to contain them this year and we did a pretty good job of shutting him down and getting the win."

Did you have some injuries last year? If so, what were they?
"Well, I only had one injury I had an MCL sprain and that was it."

And that's all it?
"It's all fine, I didn't need surgery or anything. Just had to recover for a couple of weeks and I was back."