Jameson Williams
Press Conference
Q. When Metchie went out after the first half in the SEC Championship game, how did that affect how Georgia defended you?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I wouldn’t say it affected us. I guess they tried to play a little over the top. That’s all we’ve seen. We’ve seen some extra defenses. That was pretty much it, though, a little extra over the top.
Q. When you were talking to Alabama and looking for a new school, what was their big selling point to go there?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: That I would be an excellent add-on to the offense, and as the season went on, we kind of all seen how I was used in the offense and everything. Complimented me, complimented the other receivers. We all just came together and we had a great offense this year.
Q. I know we’ve asked you a lot about celebrations this year. But I don’t know if you’ve seen other student-athletes around campus or guys in the NFL doing the crane kick. And now on Twitter people are starting to put emojis in their user names. What has that craze meant to you as the guy that’s been kind of the leader of that?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: It’s exciting seeing that. I like seeing it — I just went on there earlier and I was, like, what’s this? But it’s exciting seeing things like that, showing how the Alabama family is behind you and how we’re all together and everything. It’s just exciting to see things like that.
Q. I know you’ve gotten a lot of support from Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson back at Ohio State. I know he was at the championship game. And I see Brian Hartline tweets supportive things about you. What’s it been like for you to continue to get support from those guys that you played with at Ohio State?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: It’s great getting loves from my brothers. I talk to those guys almost every day, Chris, Garrett, Jackson. I talk to those guys every day. Ever since I left we’ve had a stronger relationship, even though I had a strong one there. We keep in touch every day, call, text each other, see how it’s going.
It’s great having that relationship with those guys because we’re not with each other every day anymore. So it’s great keeping that relationship.
Q. You said you saw more over-the-top coverage from Georgia in that second half. How does that affect you how does it change what you do, or what does it mean for your style of play with your speed?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I don’t think it affects us in any ways. I feel we will have plans to get around it. But it’s something that we just have to work on this week in practice and game plan for it this week. Hopefully we get to the game Monday and everything works out well.
Q. Can you describe what your experience was like at Ohio State that led you to decide that it was time to find a new place?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: The experience, everything went well. I just felt like it was time for me to make a decision for myself. And things just — I entered the portal, and just ended up being at Alabama. And things went well.
Q. Obviously I know with you guys it’s very consistent when it comes to how you prep for each and every game, but what are some of the challenges that you face whenever you’re having a rematch with a rival like Georgia?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: It’s going to be a very good challenge. I’m pretty sure all those guys will come twice as hard as the first game. We have to play a lot better than the first game, a lot better than the last game. We’ve got to go out and play our best football this game.
I’m looking forward to a great game, national championship. Looking for everybody to bring their best. We just play great football and hopefully we come out on top.
Q. Can you describe the process of transferring schools? And can you describe what advice you can give to maybe some younger kids looking up to you that would need some advice, maybe, if they’re wanting to transfer schools and maybe end up as successful as you are?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I’m here to talk about the championship game. Can we stay off the focus of the transfer portal, please?
Q. How do you think the fact that you’re playing these guys a second time in a month will impact both teams? Does it impact one team more so than it does the other?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I wouldn’t say because I feel like it’s a lot of pressure on both teams. It’s a lot of pressure on those guys to get the W. It’s a lot of pressure on us to beat a team two times.
So I feel like we both have real good mindsets coming into this game. I’m looking forward to a game on Monday building up with the intensity and everything that’s been said and going on.
Q. Coach O’Brien was saying what really makes you stand out is that you’re super competitive, like in practice, every moment. Can you take me back to when you first realized you were competitive and why you care? Where does that come from?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I would say it’s just the way I was raised. Me, my dad, my brothers, we competed with everything we did. Even my sister competed with us. We always wanted to be first, first one up the steps, first one in a workout.
As we started playing sports we just branched off into our different age groups but we always still wanted to be first. We just had that mentality to be first. So I guess my competitiveness was built as a kid and it just came with me all the way to this day.
Q. A lot of talk about the challenge of this rematch but what possibly is the benefit? Because obviously we’re looking at the conference championship, you guys have much more extra time to prepare. This is a much tighter window getting ready for this national championship. But where do you see some benefit of getting a team that you’re used to? We’ve talked a lot about the challenges of facing a team again, the same team in the national championship, the SEC Championship, but what may be some of the benefits with such a short period of time to prepare for such a game?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: The benefit could be we’ve seen these guys before. We have to prepare for the little wrinkles and the corrections they made and we can just play great football off of them.
Q. How have you seen Ja’Corey Brooks step up with Metchie being out? How has he taken on a larger role and really embraced that?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I would say Ja’Corey, he stepped up before Metchie went out. You seen in the Auburn game when I couldn’t play he stepped up. He made a big play, had a real big play then. And the SEC Championship, Metchie went out. He played real good ball in the SEC Championship.
Last game he made a big play, scored a touchdown. I would say Ja’Corey, he’s doing excellent right now. He’s a real good ball player. And I think you guys are going to see very much more from him in his coming days.
Q. You’re somewhat new to the Georgia-Alabama thing, but I think this is the fifth time they’ve played in the last few years. Alabama has owned it to this point. But what have you learned kind of about the whole Georgia -Alabama thing? Do you appreciate it more now than when you first showed up?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I would say it’s a couple games like this that we treat this way now that me being here a full year we had a couple of games like this. But we have the same mentality for every game. We want to go out and dominate and get the job done, really.
Q. When you were at Ohio State what were the biggest things you feel you learned from Brian Hartline there? And what do you feel are the biggest things you’ve learned since moving on to Alabama that made you an even better player?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: Moving to Alabama, I would say I learned to always go hard, even harder than when I went — I’m a real good competitor, but being around guys like this and guys on the team, on the defense, are forcing me to bring out way more than I ever had with these practices and how things go. So I would say I learned to go way harder than I ever did, really, coming to Alabama.
Q. Talk about your relationship with your quarterback. He won the Heisman Trophy. What do you guys work on to make yourself better in each and every game?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: We kind of go through practice and we work on a lot of timing on routes. How this route is going to be seen through this defense, the steps on this route, when to look on this route, the leverage, how to do a lot of things. So me and Bryce, we have a strong relationship. It’s kind of been like that since the summer when I came in, we started working together.
Since then we built a real strong relationship, and now it’s just the same. It’s just way stronger than it was, because we just day-by-day we get closer together and everything. So I would say we have a pretty strong relationship.FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Bill O’Brien
Offensive Coordinator
Press Conference
Q. Just as a general rule of thumb, with a rematch, I mean you had a lot of experience with those in the NFL, do you start from scratch? Do you start from where the last game left off? How do you deal with all that information that you got from the last game?
COACH O’BRIEN: Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough. I think you have to do a little bit of both. You have to go back to the drawing board, so to speak. You’ve got to start from scratch. You have to look at the last game. You’ve got to go back and review the whole season, your season, their season.
It’s a long week. They have a great defense. Almost like a generational defense. They have amazing stats and they play hard. They play good, a lot of great players and coaches on that side of the ball. It’s going to be a challenge for us.
Q. Teams that decide to double Jameson or bring extra coverage to his side, what can you do as a coordinator to free him up and make sure he gets opportunities?
COACH O’BRIEN: That’s a great question. We’re always finding ways to get all of our guys the ball. Our guys are really smart. You can move them around. You can do a lot of different things with them. But schematically I’ll probably try to stay above the fray here in this Zoom session.
But all our guys are really capable and they’re excited about the opportunity and we’re excited for Monday night.
Q. I wonder how the experience has been just coming back to college and calling plays at a top program. You’ve got a Heisman winner on your record now. What’s a self-scout on Bill O’Brien this year?
COACH O’BRIEN: It’s been a great experience. It’s been awesome. We have a lot of great kids to coach. They’re hard working. They love football. They’re great teammates. The coaching staff here, led by Coach Saban, is one of the best coaching staffs I’ve ever been a part of. It says a lot because I’ve been part of a lot of coaching staffs. I’ve been fortunate that way. It’s just been fun.
A lot of fun to coach a guy like Bryce and the rest of the guys on offense, work with the offensive staff. I can’t say enough about this program. And I’ve said it time and time again, how grateful I am to have this opportunity to be here and to try to do my part to help this team win.
Q. What has been your biggest learnings with Coach Saban? You have a long coaching career yourself but what will you take away from this experience?
COACH O’BRIEN: I’ve learned a ton. I’ve learned a lot from Coach Saban, not only, obviously, schematically, but also how he runs a program. The organization of it, the detail of it, the work ethic that goes into it, the discipline, the regimen.
He’s an amazing guy. He’s a guy that is the same guy every day. He’s a very hardworking guy, very disciplined guy. Loves football. And I’ve learned a lot from him and like you said, I’ve had a career of a lot of years. I’ve been fortunate to work for a lot of great guys and with a lot of great guys. And this has been a great experience for me.
Q. Against Georgia the first time, they got to Bryce, hurried him eight times but didn’t get a sack. What makes him so effective in those open-field situations?
COACH O’BRIEN: It’s tough. I don’t know. That’s an interesting stat. When I watched the film I see it a lot more than that. They’ve got a great front. We’ve got to do a good job against that front. I think Bryce does a really good job of understanding and processing. But it’s a whole different ball game on Monday night.
So it’s a tremendous challenge. Coach Smart, Coach Lanning, Coach Muschamp, those guys are at the top of their game when it comes to defensive coaching. And then they have the players that can make it happen. So we’ve got a big challenge. We’re excited about it. We’re practicing hard. Our guys always practice hard. That’s the way this program’s been built. And we’ll be there Monday night but it’s going to be a tremendous challenge for us.
Q. An old NFL guy, when you guys got Jameson Williams, did you feel like you hit the free agency jackpot in terms of filling a need with a guy who has obviously done what he’s done?
COACH O’BRIEN: You know, it is similar to free agency but without the rules, to be honest with you. There are some rules in college, but the portal is an interesting deal. And I’ll stay away from that. I’ll let Coach Saban handle that.
But when we were able to bring Jameson into our program, he was a guy that came in right away and wasn’t in spring practice and started with us in the summer and just really did a great job learning our offense and hit the ground running.
I think Bryce, the rest of the offensive guys did a great job with him helping him out. John Metchie, all those guys that play receiver out there that have been here, they did a great job. And he picked it up fast and obviously he’s a huge part of our success.
Q. What’s been your approach in your process your name has come up these past couple of weeks other college jobs, NFL jobs, deciding whether there’s mutual interest on your part?
COACH O’BRIEN: It’s one of those things that happens all the time. It’s part of the career, part of what you sign up for. My focus has always been on the task at hand and that’s just the way I operate.
I just think that this is a great opportunity for this program. And we’ve put so much work into this. And really if you’re here, if you’re able to follow us around for a week, your focus is completely on Georgia and your team and what you have to do to try to help do your part to help your team win. So that’s what the focus is.
Q. You’ve been around some tremendous receivers in the career you mentioned. What makes Jameson Williams special and are there qualities from guys like Hopkins [phonetic] and some others, that are there any similarities with him to some of the great receivers you’ve coached in your time?
COACH O’BRIEN: Great question. I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve coached a ton of great receivers. And Jameson, relative to the stage of the career that he’s at, being a college player right now and having a chance probably to play pro football. Excellent speed, excellent route runner, very competitive guy. He’s a very instinctive player. He’s a very smart player. And I can’t say enough about his competitiveness. He’s a player that goes out and practices every day like it’s a game.
And so I think that’s something that the great ones have those traits. Everybody’s a little bit different. Everybody’s built differently. Everybody has different skill sets. Different speed things like that. But the best ones that I’ve been around and Jameson’s in that category, they all have that competitive spirit that’s really hard to find sometimes.
Q. Sticking with the receivers, before the Cincinnati game you talked about the loss of John Metchie, how have you seen a guy like Ja’Corey Brooks step up and how has he done it over the course of the season?
COACH O’BRIEN: Ja’Corey is a very young impressive player, really good size. Really good work ethic. He’s a very serious guy. He takes his game very seriously. He tries to work every single day to get better.
I think it’s really hard to play receiver at a young age at this level and at the next level. And he’s doing it really well at this level. He’s getting better every day because of his work ethic.
So Ja’Corey has really come up big for us. He’s come up big for us with some big catches over the last few games, and that’s been important for our team.
Q. When you get to Alabama, you’ve been around a lot of good programs, college programs, but when you get to Alabama, does it at all take you aback a bit when you see how much talent there is available to you compared to some of the other places where, again, you’ve been around good programs? Do you really get to appreciate how much talent is at Alabama until you’ve seen it like you have?
COACH O’BRIEN: I definitely think you see it firsthand. You notice it right away. And you also, when we got here there was a number of guys on last year’s team when you put the film on, that offensively were first-round draft picks, six or seven of them. I think they said Landon Dickerson was a second rounder. Probably if he wasn’t injured he would have been a first-rounder.
So with that being said, to be able to have the depth and the ability to come back with some really good players at a lot of different positions says a lot about Coach Saban, his organization relative to recruiting. It’s every single day. It’s 365 days a year that he recruits, that we all recruit. And he leads it.
And I think that’s what it’s about in college football is developing relationships with the player and his family and showing him what you’re all about. And it’s just been really cool experience to see that. But that’s really what it’s about. It’s a relentless approach to recruiting, not just a relentless approach to football coaching. And that’s what Coach Saban has done here and it’s been proven and it’s been awesome.
Q. What can you say about, you had the unique experience of having worked with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, arguably two of the greatest ever. Just what you can say about what makes them similar and maybe some of the differences they’ve had with you working with them?
COACH O’BRIEN: It’s a question, obvious question I get a lot. I actually enjoy the question because I take a lot of pride in the fact I’ve been able to work for both guys. I’ve learned so much from both guys. And you said it, these are two of the best ever to do it.
And they’re both very similar in some of their philosophical beliefs — hard work, good teammates, trustworthy people around them, uncovering every stone to try to find out what we can do to try to get an edge in a game or the way we practice, things like that.
And they are two very different people. And that’s just the way — that’s just the way it is. And I think that’s what’s pretty cool, the fact I’ve had a chance to be around both of them, work for both of them. And it’s something that I’m very grateful for and I’m very proud of.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Pete Golding
Defensive Coordinator
Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by Pete Golding.
Q. I heard from a couple of people around the program that Nick Saban has dispensed fewer of the proverbial ass chewings this year. I’m wondering if that’s accurate?
COACH GOLDING: Absolutely not accurate. No. I think — obviously whatever you do here, Coach is going to make sure you do it to the best of your ability. You do it the way he sees fit, which I enjoy. I think as a player, as a coach, you always want to know what can I do better, how can I improve.
I think a lot of times whoever you work for, whatever profession you’re in sometimes you don’t get that, you don’t get the feedback back and you don’t know. The good thing about him is it’s black and white and you’re going to know.
Q. How big of an addition was Henry To’oTo’o? And how badly did you all maybe need some help and leadership at that position in play calling and all that?
COACH GOLDING: Obviously I think in any defense, especially this defense, I mean you want your Mike, your signal caller that you’re basing the defense around be able to get guys lined up, make all the calls, communicate the adjustments.
So, Henry having experience in a similar defense when he was at Tennessee, I think kind of put him ahead when he got here. He was familiar with a lot of the terminology, using the same stuff that obviously he used when he was here. So I think that piece helped.
But when I talked about this last week it’s who Henry is. Doesn’t matter who he is, he’s going to be all in, going to be committed to it. He’s going to prepare harder than anybody else and practice harder than anybody else. When he does that people gravitate towards him and they want to come with him.
Obviously his preparation, his work ethic, his love for football, and then his intelligence. And I think he’s got a great personality that people want to gravitate towards. And he pulls them with him.
He’s been a huge addition, not only just from a leadership standpoint and the communication, but he’s been very productive as well. We would be different without him.
Q. Nick Saban said after the last Georgia game that part of the success against Stetson Bennett was kind of changing the picture on him. What’s the challenge of having to do that twice now and having a quarterback who has already seen your defense and having to call plays for another 60 minutes against him?
COACH GOLDING: I don’t think it’s tough having to play somebody twice. I mean I know everybody talks about that and all that. But if you look at the NFL, you’re playing everybody in your division twice.
I mean, I think the big thing is, in any quarterback, what they see is not what they need to get every snap. And I think you’re trying to make him make the decision of what coverage it is, what front is it, what pressure is it once he’s got the ball in his hand.
I think the key is, in a pre-snap read, he thinks he’s getting this look and then the ball turns over now and it’s a different coverage or it’s a different pressure, it’s a different front. And now he’s got to think. I think there’s no difference in disguises to me on defense from the front, the coverage and like that, and on offense with motions and shifts and trades.
They don’t put in new plays each week. They’re just getting to them differently. It’s a different formation, different shift. They’re putting a guy in a different stop. They’re tweaking things. But it’s still what they do, it’s their bread and butter.
Defensively how can you keep things the same but make them look different. That way your guys have carry-over. They understand the rules where if they see something new they can let the rules apply.
Absolutely it’s playing the game, making him think. They got a lot of weapons at a lot of different spots that create some matchup issues. They’re going to move this tight end around and try to create the matchups they want with him. They’ve got really good backs that are an issue covering out of the backfield.
You’ve got to pick your poison sometimes. You’re not going to get everybody doubled or the person you want on them based on their formation. Our guys will have to cover well and play well.
Q. You mentioned the tight end, yesterday Coach Saban talked about he’s a mismatch because he’s too big and too fast for a lot of different guys. Schematically how do you combat someone who is a mismatch like that?
COACH GOLDING: I think the best thing they do, obviously the way they move him around, they’re going to still use them in the run game in the C area, on or off the ball. He’s going to be open and split out. And then he’s going to bring Ying [phonetic] back in.
By putting a certain player on a certain guy all the time then you’re getting back to what y’all said. You’re telling him exactly what you’re doing and they know.
You’ve got to be able to mix it up and double them sometimes and bang him, play some zone, get some bigger guys on him sometimes if the push-off is an issue. If the speed becomes a problem, obviously you’ve got coverages to try to put a DB on them.
Because of the run game and they’re so successful in the run game as well, you can’t design everything to take 19 away because they’re going to hurt you somewhere else. They’ve got a lot of good players. It’s being multiple, having a plan for wherever he’s at to have things, to be able to help you. But a lot of guys got them covered, and a lot of guys are doubling, he still goes up and makes the play. It’s about contesting it, making them execute and doing a good job.
Q. We saw Khyree Jackson play quite a bit in this past game. How do you think he played against Cincinnati and how has he progressed over the course of the season?
COACH GOLDING: I think obviously over throughout the season Khyree understanding the concepts and the coverages and the terminology and the communication piece. I think anytime you’re a new player in a new system, when things are still and they’re stationary and you get a call, you’re okay.
When stuff starts moving around, which we’ll see every week, and something changes, how fast can you process that to go from one coverage to the next, which I think is a struggle for anybody but especially a new player new starter.
I thought he did well. Obviously there’s certain things some mistakes we’ve got to clean up, him as well, that will get you beat versus a good team that maybe Cincinnati didn’t take advantage of.
But he competes. He’s playing hard right now. He’s got toughness. He’s got the length you want at corner. I think he can play the ball in the deep part of the field. I think he showed that. We just have to cross the T’s and dot the I’s and make sure he’s locked in knows what to do to give us our best chance.
Q. Can you take us through the position with diamond star with Brian Branch and Malachi Moore? And how has that dynamic played out, and where do they stand at this point?
COACH GOLDING: They’re coming to work every day. Obviously, Coach, we’ll try to put the best 11 guys that we’ve got on the field based on what we’re seeing. A lot of times, depending on the personnel grouping that we’re in, based on what they’re in, we want a bigger guy at the point of attack that’s a little more physical or a better cover guy.
I think that’s the best thing about Malachi or Branch, both started games here, played a lot of football, have been productive. They understand the defense. So either one of those guys in there I think we’re in pretty good shape. And they’ve been moving around. They play safety. Play star. Branch played a little bit of corner.
We’ve had to move them around a little bit because of some injuries. Those guys are plug-and-play guys and they know all five spots in the back end and they give us the best chance to win. Either of those guys that are in, we feel we’re in pretty good shape. We look at them both as starters based on the personnel group and what they’re doing, who you go with that week.
Q. Where would you put Will Anderson among players you’ve coached and what makes him so difficult to block?
COACH GOLDING: I think we kind of talked about this last week. I mean, he just loves football. All the intangibles, you talk about being tough and competitive and all those things. And then you throw on top of it, the way he prepares, the way he’s in here all the time with Coach Sal and watching tape and his love of the game. And you throw on top of that his size and his athletic ability.
He’s one of the heavier-handed guys at his size for an outside linebacker that I’ve been able to be around as far as striking blocks and recreating the line of scrimmage. So that gives us the flexibility to leave him in the game in a lot of situations and move him around, whether he’s a 3, a 4, a 5, a 9.
We’ll drop him some, as well to keep people honest, based on sliding to him. He’s athletic enough to obviously drop into coverage, more zone standpoint. Obviously he’s an elite pass rusher. But I think one of his best traits is how physical he is at the point of attack and knocking guys back and being able to play the run.
I think everybody from a draft standpoint are looking for guys that specializing in certain things. And I think he’s got all the tools that you’re looking for from an every-down standpoint. So you throw that on top of who he is as a person, his character, his want-to, his leadership ability, he’s as special as I’ve been around.
Q. What did you mean by heavy-handed guy? And given all his traits what he does so well, how many guys like him are there in the country or that you’ve been around or seen in the college game?
COACH GOLDING: Heavy-handed, I’m talking about when you go to strike a block and they’re coming off the ball and I go to use my hands, five points of contact to strike him and knock him back. He’s so explosive from his legs, from his hips, to his hands, to be able to create separation and then disengage and get off of guys and go make plays.
What I mean by that, he strikes and gets that head going back, and then he separates and he can go make the play. A lot of people aren’t like that. A lot of people are flesh minus; they get into a guy they can’t get off. Or they can’t create the separation because they can’t come out of their hips.
On top of that, normally the guys that can do it on a base down, from a run standpoint aren’t elite passers. You’re taking them off the field on third down, not trying to find ways to get them one-on-one on their worst guy, like what we’re trying to do with him. From that aspect, that’s what I mean by heavy-handed.
How many guys are like him in the country? I have no idea. NFL scouts are doing that for a living. I don’t watch other teams. I know he won defensive player of the year in the country. So somebody thinks he’s the best player in the country. I have no idea.
Q. When you go into a game like this where it’s a rematch, not just from the regular season but the SEC Championship, what challenges do you face when you’re going into a rematch like this game?
COACH GOLDING: I think anytime you’re playing anybody, regardless, I think you go back and you look at what you did the previous game. What are things that we didn’t do well that they took advantage of that we got to find answers for, that we’ve got to correct and we gotta improve on.
There’s some things in games you don’t see to the naked eye and you come out of there and it wasn’t an explosive play or a long run but it could have been because we weren’t in the right gap or we didn’t play the right technique or what have you.
It’s evaluating the tape and what did we do well, how can we do the same thing, make it look different to keep it the same for our kids. And things we didn’t do well, what do we need to change, or is it a technique piece? Is it a scheme piece, is it a personnel issue, that you know they’re going to come back and try to exploit.
And then on top of that, that goes over an entire season. I think it’s a little easier for a semifinal game when you have more time to go through and find issues that people are having problems with or things they do well that you want to try to take away.
But it’s going throughout the years all right what have we not done well what have we put on tape that created issues that created explosive plays whether it’s the run game or pass game that we’ve got to clean up. And obviously the things that you do well, you continue to do. And then add mixtures in there to make it look the same but a little different variation to give a little different read, whether it’s the run game or pass game.
Obviously in any offense or defense you have a philosophy and this is your defensive scheme, this is your offensive scheme and you’ve got to go back to what’s your bread and butter what got you there. At the end of the day it’s about getting off blocks, tackling the guy with the ball in space, defending the deep part of the field, playing penalty-free. That’s football. So you can’t get caught up in changing who you are and what you do just because you played somebody a second time, now you’re putting kids in situations they’ve never been in for 14 football games that got you there, now you’re getting away from that.
I think there’s a fine line in all that. The good piece about being here, Coach has been here a lot in these situations. And so we know the philosophy, we know what we believe in. It’s about execution, getting everybody on the same page and playing fast.
Q. The running back for Georgia, James Cook, what do you guys have to do to contain him? I know you did a great job against Cincinnati keeping that running game from being explosive. What do you have to do to keep that guy from doing what he did to Michigan?
COACH GOLDING: Obviously I think gap control up front I think is a big piece to that. Trying to reestablish the line of scrimmage, not getting a lot of movement. They’re very multiple in the run game, both zone and gap. Being gap-sound at the second level and taking guys off double teams and work some slider and counter game to fit in your eight-man space (indiscernible) and playing to your help.
Their shot plays and their priority passing game come off the run plays. So they challenge you from an eye-control standpoint. That’s going to look like run, and I’ve got to see my secondary key because it’s going to be the same look, and then out here is the shot play off of it.
So they do a really good job. Coach Monk is a great coach, offensively, they use the horizontal width of the field. They’ll stretch you vertically, make you account for all gaps. They’ve got those three big tight ends they’ll put on the field a lot at the same time to create extra gaps. And they’re good pass catchers. You can’t forget, obviously, the backs and the run game, that’s one thing, and you’ve got to gang tackle him, you’ve got to pepper the ball. We’ve got to get there especially in space. I think 4 is special in space. That showed up a couple times last time we played these guys.
Some explosive plays based on missed tackles that he created. But you’ve got to be sound. I think obviously you’ve got to be able to try to take the run game away. I think that’s hard to do versus these guys, but you’ve got to eliminate the explosives. You’ve got to make them drive the field. We’ve got to create some turnovers. We’ve got to play really well. Critical situations in the game, being third down, which was a big piece of this game last time. And win the turnover battle. I think that was a big piece to this game last time as well with the interceptions.
So you’ve got to be sound versus the run, but they’re very multiple to, where, once you devote yourself to the run, they can make you pay on the perimeter as well. It’s a great challenge.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Pete Golding
Defensive Coordinator
Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by Pete Golding.
Q. I heard from a couple of people around the program that Nick Saban has dispensed fewer of the proverbial ass chewings this year. I’m wondering if that’s accurate?
COACH GOLDING: Absolutely not accurate. No. I think — obviously whatever you do here, Coach is going to make sure you do it to the best of your ability. You do it the way he sees fit, which I enjoy. I think as a player, as a coach, you always want to know what can I do better, how can I improve.
I think a lot of times whoever you work for, whatever profession you’re in sometimes you don’t get that, you don’t get the feedback back and you don’t know. The good thing about him is it’s black and white and you’re going to know.
Q. How big of an addition was Henry To’oTo’o? And how badly did you all maybe need some help and leadership at that position in play calling and all that?
COACH GOLDING: Obviously I think in any defense, especially this defense, I mean you want your Mike, your signal caller that you’re basing the defense around be able to get guys lined up, make all the calls, communicate the adjustments.
So, Henry having experience in a similar defense when he was at Tennessee, I think kind of put him ahead when he got here. He was familiar with a lot of the terminology, using the same stuff that obviously he used when he was here. So I think that piece helped.
But when I talked about this last week it’s who Henry is. Doesn’t matter who he is, he’s going to be all in, going to be committed to it. He’s going to prepare harder than anybody else and practice harder than anybody else. When he does that people gravitate towards him and they want to come with him.
Obviously his preparation, his work ethic, his love for football, and then his intelligence. And I think he’s got a great personality that people want to gravitate towards. And he pulls them with him.
He’s been a huge addition, not only just from a leadership standpoint and the communication, but he’s been very productive as well. We would be different without him.
Q. Nick Saban said after the last Georgia game that part of the success against Stetson Bennett was kind of changing the picture on him. What’s the challenge of having to do that twice now and having a quarterback who has already seen your defense and having to call plays for another 60 minutes against him?
COACH GOLDING: I don’t think it’s tough having to play somebody twice. I mean I know everybody talks about that and all that. But if you look at the NFL, you’re playing everybody in your division twice.
I mean, I think the big thing is, in any quarterback, what they see is not what they need to get every snap. And I think you’re trying to make him make the decision of what coverage it is, what front is it, what pressure is it once he’s got the ball in his hand.
I think the key is, in a pre-snap read, he thinks he’s getting this look and then the ball turns over now and it’s a different coverage or it’s a different pressure, it’s a different front. And now he’s got to think. I think there’s no difference in disguises to me on defense from the front, the coverage and like that, and on offense with motions and shifts and trades.
They don’t put in new plays each week. They’re just getting to them differently. It’s a different formation, different shift. They’re putting a guy in a different stop. They’re tweaking things. But it’s still what they do, it’s their bread and butter.
Defensively how can you keep things the same but make them look different. That way your guys have carry-over. They understand the rules where if they see something new they can let the rules apply.
Absolutely it’s playing the game, making him think. They got a lot of weapons at a lot of different spots that create some matchup issues. They’re going to move this tight end around and try to create the matchups they want with him. They’ve got really good backs that are an issue covering out of the backfield.
You’ve got to pick your poison sometimes. You’re not going to get everybody doubled or the person you want on them based on their formation. Our guys will have to cover well and play well.
Q. You mentioned the tight end, yesterday Coach Saban talked about he’s a mismatch because he’s too big and too fast for a lot of different guys. Schematically how do you combat someone who is a mismatch like that?
COACH GOLDING: I think the best thing they do, obviously the way they move him around, they’re going to still use them in the run game in the C area, on or off the ball. He’s going to be open and split out. And then he’s going to bring Ying [phonetic] back in.
By putting a certain player on a certain guy all the time then you’re getting back to what y’all said. You’re telling him exactly what you’re doing and they know.
You’ve got to be able to mix it up and double them sometimes and bang him, play some zone, get some bigger guys on him sometimes if the push-off is an issue. If the speed becomes a problem, obviously you’ve got coverages to try to put a DB on them.
Because of the run game and they’re so successful in the run game as well, you can’t design everything to take 19 away because they’re going to hurt you somewhere else. They’ve got a lot of good players. It’s being multiple, having a plan for wherever he’s at to have things, to be able to help you. But a lot of guys got them covered, and a lot of guys are doubling, he still goes up and makes the play. It’s about contesting it, making them execute and doing a good job.
Q. We saw Khyree Jackson play quite a bit in this past game. How do you think he played against Cincinnati and how has he progressed over the course of the season?
COACH GOLDING: I think obviously over throughout the season Khyree understanding the concepts and the coverages and the terminology and the communication piece. I think anytime you’re a new player in a new system, when things are still and they’re stationary and you get a call, you’re okay.
When stuff starts moving around, which we’ll see every week, and something changes, how fast can you process that to go from one coverage to the next, which I think is a struggle for anybody but especially a new player new starter.
I thought he did well. Obviously there’s certain things some mistakes we’ve got to clean up, him as well, that will get you beat versus a good team that maybe Cincinnati didn’t take advantage of.
But he competes. He’s playing hard right now. He’s got toughness. He’s got the length you want at corner. I think he can play the ball in the deep part of the field. I think he showed that. We just have to cross the T’s and dot the I’s and make sure he’s locked in knows what to do to give us our best chance.
Q. Can you take us through the position with diamond star with Brian Branch and Malachi Moore? And how has that dynamic played out, and where do they stand at this point?
COACH GOLDING: They’re coming to work every day. Obviously, Coach, we’ll try to put the best 11 guys that we’ve got on the field based on what we’re seeing. A lot of times, depending on the personnel grouping that we’re in, based on what they’re in, we want a bigger guy at the point of attack that’s a little more physical or a better cover guy.
I think that’s the best thing about Malachi or Branch, both started games here, played a lot of football, have been productive. They understand the defense. So either one of those guys in there I think we’re in pretty good shape. And they’ve been moving around. They play safety. Play star. Branch played a little bit of corner.
We’ve had to move them around a little bit because of some injuries. Those guys are plug-and-play guys and they know all five spots in the back end and they give us the best chance to win. Either of those guys that are in, we feel we’re in pretty good shape. We look at them both as starters based on the personnel group and what they’re doing, who you go with that week.
Q. Where would you put Will Anderson among players you’ve coached and what makes him so difficult to block?
COACH GOLDING: I think we kind of talked about this last week. I mean, he just loves football. All the intangibles, you talk about being tough and competitive and all those things. And then you throw on top of it, the way he prepares, the way he’s in here all the time with Coach Sal and watching tape and his love of the game. And you throw on top of that his size and his athletic ability.
He’s one of the heavier-handed guys at his size for an outside linebacker that I’ve been able to be around as far as striking blocks and recreating the line of scrimmage. So that gives us the flexibility to leave him in the game in a lot of situations and move him around, whether he’s a 3, a 4, a 5, a 9.
We’ll drop him some, as well to keep people honest, based on sliding to him. He’s athletic enough to obviously drop into coverage, more zone standpoint. Obviously he’s an elite pass rusher. But I think one of his best traits is how physical he is at the point of attack and knocking guys back and being able to play the run.
I think everybody from a draft standpoint are looking for guys that specializing in certain things. And I think he’s got all the tools that you’re looking for from an every-down standpoint. So you throw that on top of who he is as a person, his character, his want-to, his leadership ability, he’s as special as I’ve been around.
Q. What did you mean by heavy-handed guy? And given all his traits what he does so well, how many guys like him are there in the country or that you’ve been around or seen in the college game?
COACH GOLDING: Heavy-handed, I’m talking about when you go to strike a block and they’re coming off the ball and I go to use my hands, five points of contact to strike him and knock him back. He’s so explosive from his legs, from his hips, to his hands, to be able to create separation and then disengage and get off of guys and go make plays.
What I mean by that, he strikes and gets that head going back, and then he separates and he can go make the play. A lot of people aren’t like that. A lot of people are flesh minus; they get into a guy they can’t get off. Or they can’t create the separation because they can’t come out of their hips.
On top of that, normally the guys that can do it on a base down, from a run standpoint aren’t elite passers. You’re taking them off the field on third down, not trying to find ways to get them one-on-one on their worst guy, like what we’re trying to do with him. From that aspect, that’s what I mean by heavy-handed.
How many guys are like him in the country? I have no idea. NFL scouts are doing that for a living. I don’t watch other teams. I know he won defensive player of the year in the country. So somebody thinks he’s the best player in the country. I have no idea.
Q. When you go into a game like this where it’s a rematch, not just from the regular season but the SEC Championship, what challenges do you face when you’re going into a rematch like this game?
COACH GOLDING: I think anytime you’re playing anybody, regardless, I think you go back and you look at what you did the previous game. What are things that we didn’t do well that they took advantage of that we got to find answers for, that we’ve got to correct and we gotta improve on.
There’s some things in games you don’t see to the naked eye and you come out of there and it wasn’t an explosive play or a long run but it could have been because we weren’t in the right gap or we didn’t play the right technique or what have you.
It’s evaluating the tape and what did we do well, how can we do the same thing, make it look different to keep it the same for our kids. And things we didn’t do well, what do we need to change, or is it a technique piece? Is it a scheme piece, is it a personnel issue, that you know they’re going to come back and try to exploit.
And then on top of that, that goes over an entire season. I think it’s a little easier for a semifinal game when you have more time to go through and find issues that people are having problems with or things they do well that you want to try to take away.
But it’s going throughout the years all right what have we not done well what have we put on tape that created issues that created explosive plays whether it’s the run game or pass game that we’ve got to clean up. And obviously the things that you do well, you continue to do. And then add mixtures in there to make it look the same but a little different variation to give a little different read, whether it’s the run game or pass game.
Obviously in any offense or defense you have a philosophy and this is your defensive scheme, this is your offensive scheme and you’ve got to go back to what’s your bread and butter what got you there. At the end of the day it’s about getting off blocks, tackling the guy with the ball in space, defending the deep part of the field, playing penalty-free. That’s football. So you can’t get caught up in changing who you are and what you do just because you played somebody a second time, now you’re putting kids in situations they’ve never been in for 14 football games that got you there, now you’re getting away from that.
I think there’s a fine line in all that. The good piece about being here, Coach has been here a lot in these situations. And so we know the philosophy, we know what we believe in. It’s about execution, getting everybody on the same page and playing fast.
Q. The running back for Georgia, James Cook, what do you guys have to do to contain him? I know you did a great job against Cincinnati keeping that running game from being explosive. What do you have to do to keep that guy from doing what he did to Michigan?
COACH GOLDING: Obviously I think gap control up front I think is a big piece to that. Trying to reestablish the line of scrimmage, not getting a lot of movement. They’re very multiple in the run game, both zone and gap. Being gap-sound at the second level and taking guys off double teams and work some slider and counter game to fit in your eight-man space (indiscernible) and playing to your help.
Their shot plays and their priority passing game come off the run plays. So they challenge you from an eye-control standpoint. That’s going to look like run, and I’ve got to see my secondary key because it’s going to be the same look, and then out here is the shot play off of it.
So they do a really good job. Coach Monk is a great coach, offensively, they use the horizontal width of the field. They’ll stretch you vertically, make you account for all gaps. They’ve got those three big tight ends they’ll put on the field a lot at the same time to create extra gaps. And they’re good pass catchers. You can’t forget, obviously, the backs and the run game, that’s one thing, and you’ve got to gang tackle him, you’ve got to pepper the ball. We’ve got to get there especially in space. I think 4 is special in space. That showed up a couple times last time we played these guys.
Some explosive plays based on missed tackles that he created. But you’ve got to be sound. I think obviously you’ve got to be able to try to take the run game away. I think that’s hard to do versus these guys, but you’ve got to eliminate the explosives. You’ve got to make them drive the field. We’ve got to create some turnovers. We’ve got to play really well. Critical situations in the game, being third down, which was a big piece of this game last time. And win the turnover battle. I think that was a big piece to this game last time as well with the interceptions.
So you’ve got to be sound versus the run, but they’re very multiple to, where, once you devote yourself to the run, they can make you pay on the perimeter as well. It’s a great challenge.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Evan Neal
Press Conference
Q. When you guys faced Georgia last time, it seemed like as an offensive line you were able to pick up some stunts they had better than maybe other times this year. What clicked well in terms of communication and being able to pass stuff off?
EVAN NEAL: I felt like it started in the practice week. We just made sure to go out there, practice as hard as we could, be real detail oriented and get the most out of every day. We wanted to be the best that we could for our team. And whenever we went out there and played, that’s what we did.
Q. Pretty incredible, zero sacks in the last game. A lot of people would analyze that game and say that’s where Alabama won it right there. That hasn’t been Georgia’s MO in every other game. So what do you expect this time around? Totally different? Same stuff? And what does it take to — I’m assuming that was pretty satisfactory for you guys in terms of the level of accomplishment.
EVAN NEAL: It’s going to take us going out there and working every day. Like I said, it starts in practice and preparation leading up to the game. Every game’s a new game. Every game has an identity of its own. Just excited to be able to go out there, do it again, on the national stage again. It’s all a blessing, man. You’ve got to put the work in day by day leading up to the game. That’s what matters.
Q. What can you say about Doug Marrone being the offensive line coach? He’s had a lot of experience at the collegiate and NFL level as a coach. And what’s he meant to you, how he’s made you better?
EVAN NEAL: Just the experience he’s been. He’s like a dictionary, Encyclopedia, there’s not too much if anything that he doesn’t know about offensive line play. He’s a really great resource to have. NFL head coach being your position coach is really a blessing. We’re thankful to have him.
He comes in every day and pushes us to be the best in the film room and practice field. And all around he just helps all of us be better. I love Coach Marrone. It’s a blessing to have him here.
Q. Has Coach Saban been at all more encouraging or less critical this season than in previous seasons with you?
EVAN NEAL: Coach Saban is just Coach Saban. He’s going to coach us hard. He’s going to get after us. He’s going to demand our best. I can’t tell you I’ve noticed anything like that. In my time here he’s been the same person. He demands excellence. That’s just who he is.
Q. How have you seen Emil Ekiyor overcome adversity at times throughout his career? And what would you say to him now as he’s looking to overcome adversity with that shoulder injury this week?
EVAN NEAL: He’s a tough dude. He’s the kind of guy you want playing next to you. I’m proud of him, the adversity he’s had to play through. He’s done it. He doesn’t complain. He gives it his all. That’s really all you can ask for. I’m extremely proud of him and extremely blessed to be able to play next to him. So just proud of him.
Q. While you were a high school recruit, I was wondering if you watched the national championship game the last time these two teams played; and if you did, what do you remember about that?
EVAN NEAL: I did watch this game, actually. I remember how crazy of a game it was. Really, really competitive game down to the wire. I believe that’s what championship games are all about. That’s what it’s about.
Q. There’s been a lot of times this year, even recently, where the offensive line has had to shuffle, plug people in due to injuries, sometimes in game, sometimes before the game starts. What does that say about the flexibility of this group but also the depth you’ve all been able to move people in and out and around the line?
EVAN NEAL: It just shows how flexible guys are. And also the depth that we have, the younger guys, how locked in they are. I believe they really have a next-man-up mentality. All of our guys prepare as if they’re starters. When their name or number is called, they’re ready. So I’m extremely proud of those guys. I’m proud to be able to play alongside of them, just proud of them.
Q. Wanted your thoughts on Will Anderson, what is it like to block him and what makes him so tough?
EVAN NEAL: It’s fun to block Will. He makes me get better. I believe he has that unique rare combo of speed, power, quickness and flexibility. He can beat you on the corner. He can bull rush you. Run through you. Good working his real hands. Sound, solid player all around. Those are the kind of guys you want to go up against. Just excited and blessed I get to go up against him every day and sharpen my iron.
Q. Have you ever tried to block someone quite as good as him, as talented as him, or is he the best player you’ve gone up against?
EVAN NEAL: I can say that he’s the best rusher I’ve been up against.
Q. Having played in a championship game last year and with all the outside distractions going on about this potentially being your final game at Alabama how you plan on slowing down the rest of the week and soak it in as you get ready to compete for a national title?
EVAN NEAL: Continue to take it day by day like I have my entire time being here. Focus on the little things, focusing on getting better every day, preparing, try my best to go out there and be a leader, bring guys along with me. And that’s pretty much it. Just taking it day by day. That’s it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Henry To’oTo’o
Press Conference
Q. How would you describe this experience? You go from a 3-7 team to a national championship team and you made such a big impact on the defense along the way getting there?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: It’s honestly a blessing to be able to be part of something so special, to be able to be part of a team and a group of guys that we strive for greatness every day. So it’s been a huge blessing.
Q. Coach Saban called their tight end Brock Bowers one of the premier players in college football. What will take for you to slow him down and limit him?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: Just play sound football, fundamental football, be able to tackle, cover him in space. He’s a tremendous player. So it’s going to be a huge challenge for us. He did a lot of things against us last game. Just really honing into the fundamentals and being able to execute in our game.
Q. Going back to the game last month, did you guard him at all. And I’m from San Francisco, so I’m doing a Bay Area story. Did you know of Bowers when you were playing at De La Salle? I know you were a couple of years older, but is there any Bay Area connection at all? Did you talk about your California connections after the game, that kind of thing?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: You know, definitely heard about him. Never really had a relationship with him. Heard about him. The California guys have to stay together. Really heard about him. Knew he was a great player coming out of high school. That’s pretty much it.
Q. Coming off last year, this time last year a lot of uncertainty about potentially what your future was going to be and where you were going to play. How has the last year been for you transferring from Tennessee to Alabama and now [lost audio] —
HENRY TO’OTO’O: It’s been, like I said before, a huge blessing to be able to be in the position that I am and being able to be in this game with the group of guys and the coaches. It’s been a blessing. I can’t complain about nothing I’ve been through. I love every single part of my road. And I’m honored and truly blessed to be where I am at.
Q. Want to ask you about Khyree Jackson. What did you think about the way he played and his, not first start, but really extensive action last game against Cincinnati? And what kind of corner is he?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: Me and Khyree came in around the same time. Khyree has been working really hard. He deserves it. He stepped up big time for us. He does a tremendous job at the corner position.
He’s a hard worker. He’s going to come in day in, day out and work, try to learn everything he can. And he’s really talented. To be able to have him out there do what he does, he’s a natural baller. So Khyree is a huge piece to our defense.
Q. I think it was almost four months between the time last year where you entered the transfer portal and then decided on Alabama. What was that time like? And were you surprised at the interest you got?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: You know, I’d say a lot of people — entering the transfer portal was one of the craziest times in my life. Being able to be — kind of start the recruiting process over. And I was just truly blessed to be able to have the schools that were interested in me.
I landed here. I had a relationship with the coaches here before. It was kind of a rough time, but I’m happy that I had my family, my parents, my brothers and sisters to be able to help me, guide me to ultimately making Alabama home.
Q. How have you seen Brian Branch progress throughout this season to become the starter he’s become at star?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: Branch has been a huge part for us too. He does a great job, he’s physical. And he communicates a lot. He does a really great job. I think our whole secondary does a great job. We all feed off of each other. I think we all gel well as a secondary.
Q. What can you say about being on a team that has so many former head coaches with Nick Saban? Just what is it like to have a bunch of head coaches that have experience at the NFL level and collegiately, and what it does for you as a player?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: It’s huge to have coaches that know how the game is supposed to look, how you’re supposed to play. It’s huge for us as players being able to have guys like that. We love them. We trust them.
It’s the knowledge. This game is full of knowledge. You’ve got to know a lot of things in this game. And being able to have guys who’s been at the higher level who knows this game in and out, and being able to feed us with that knowledge is huge.
Q. I know you’ve been on the other side and more outside of this Georgia-Alabama rivalry until this year. But I’m curious if you could talk about the mental challenge that you think Georgia might have in facing you guys just because Alabama has always had Georgia’s number in that? From the outside, do you see this Georgia-Alabama rivalry as, I guess how do you see that?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: Looking from the outside in, it’s always been a hard-fought game. Georgia is going to come out and play the hardest game. They’re a great team. And I don’t think they have any mental or kind of something blocking them mentally from winning.
I think Georgia is going to come out and play hard, fast and physical as they usually do. They’re going to play their game. Georgia is a tremendous team. And it’s up to us to answer the bell, how we respond, how we execute, how we do, how we play. And we’re excited for the challenge.
Q. If I’m not mistaken, this is going to be your fourth time playing Georgia, dating back to your days at Tennessee. How much have you seen Georgia grow over the last two to three years? And what’s it going to be like with this matchup going against Stetson Bennett, who you are familiar with?
HENRY TO’OTO’O: Georgia’s always been Georgia — big, fast, physical. Trying to punch you in the mouth every single down. Like I said before, it’s a huge challenge for us being able to answer the bell.
But my fourth time playing them now, I’m excited. It’s always a huge challenge. It’s always one of those games that I mark on my calendar to be able to execute. I’ve got to put my best foot forward. That’s every single game but Georgia has that extra fight, that dog in them that they’re never going to back down and they’re always going to keep punching.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Jameson Williams
Press Conference
Q. When Metchie went out after the first half in the SEC Championship game, how did that affect how Georgia defended you?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I wouldn’t say it affected us. I guess they tried to play a little over the top. That’s all we’ve seen. We’ve seen some extra defenses. That was pretty much it, though, a little extra over the top.
Q. When you were talking to Alabama and looking for a new school, what was their big selling point to go there?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: That I would be an excellent add-on to the offense, and as the season went on, we kind of all seen how I was used in the offense and everything. Complimented me, complimented the other receivers. We all just came together and we had a great offense this year.
Q. I know we’ve asked you a lot about celebrations this year. But I don’t know if you’ve seen other student-athletes around campus or guys in the NFL doing the crane kick. And now on Twitter people are starting to put emojis in their user names. What has that craze meant to you as the guy that’s been kind of the leader of that?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: It’s exciting seeing that. I like seeing it — I just went on there earlier and I was, like, what’s this? But it’s exciting seeing things like that, showing how the Alabama family is behind you and how we’re all together and everything. It’s just exciting to see things like that.
Q. I know you’ve gotten a lot of support from Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson back at Ohio State. I know he was at the championship game. And I see Brian Hartline tweets supportive things about you. What’s it been like for you to continue to get support from those guys that you played with at Ohio State?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: It’s great getting loves from my brothers. I talk to those guys almost every day, Chris, Garrett, Jackson. I talk to those guys every day. Ever since I left we’ve had a stronger relationship, even though I had a strong one there. We keep in touch every day, call, text each other, see how it’s going.
It’s great having that relationship with those guys because we’re not with each other every day anymore. So it’s great keeping that relationship.
Q. You said you saw more over-the-top coverage from Georgia in that second half. How does that affect you how does it change what you do, or what does it mean for your style of play with your speed?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I don’t think it affects us in any ways. I feel we will have plans to get around it. But it’s something that we just have to work on this week in practice and game plan for it this week. Hopefully we get to the game Monday and everything works out well.
Q. Can you describe what your experience was like at Ohio State that led you to decide that it was time to find a new place?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: The experience, everything went well. I just felt like it was time for me to make a decision for myself. And things just — I entered the portal, and just ended up being at Alabama. And things went well.
Q. Obviously I know with you guys it’s very consistent when it comes to how you prep for each and every game, but what are some of the challenges that you face whenever you’re having a rematch with a rival like Georgia?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: It’s going to be a very good challenge. I’m pretty sure all those guys will come twice as hard as the first game. We have to play a lot better than the first game, a lot better than the last game. We’ve got to go out and play our best football this game.
I’m looking forward to a great game, national championship. Looking for everybody to bring their best. We just play great football and hopefully we come out on top.
Q. Can you describe the process of transferring schools? And can you describe what advice you can give to maybe some younger kids looking up to you that would need some advice, maybe, if they’re wanting to transfer schools and maybe end up as successful as you are?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I’m here to talk about the championship game. Can we stay off the focus of the transfer portal, please?
Q. How do you think the fact that you’re playing these guys a second time in a month will impact both teams? Does it impact one team more so than it does the other?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I wouldn’t say because I feel like it’s a lot of pressure on both teams. It’s a lot of pressure on those guys to get the W. It’s a lot of pressure on us to beat a team two times.
So I feel like we both have real good mindsets coming into this game. I’m looking forward to a game on Monday building up with the intensity and everything that’s been said and going on.
Q. Coach O’Brien was saying what really makes you stand out is that you’re super competitive, like in practice, every moment. Can you take me back to when you first realized you were competitive and why you care? Where does that come from?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I would say it’s just the way I was raised. Me, my dad, my brothers, we competed with everything we did. Even my sister competed with us. We always wanted to be first, first one up the steps, first one in a workout.
As we started playing sports we just branched off into our different age groups but we always still wanted to be first. We just had that mentality to be first. So I guess my competitiveness was built as a kid and it just came with me all the way to this day.
Q. A lot of talk about the challenge of this rematch but what possibly is the benefit? Because obviously we’re looking at the conference championship, you guys have much more extra time to prepare. This is a much tighter window getting ready for this national championship. But where do you see some benefit of getting a team that you’re used to? We’ve talked a lot about the challenges of facing a team again, the same team in the national championship, the SEC Championship, but what may be some of the benefits with such a short period of time to prepare for such a game?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: The benefit could be we’ve seen these guys before. We have to prepare for the little wrinkles and the corrections they made and we can just play great football off of them.
Q. How have you seen Ja’Corey Brooks step up with Metchie being out? How has he taken on a larger role and really embraced that?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I would say Ja’Corey, he stepped up before Metchie went out. You seen in the Auburn game when I couldn’t play he stepped up. He made a big play, had a real big play then. And the SEC Championship, Metchie went out. He played real good ball in the SEC Championship.
Last game he made a big play, scored a touchdown. I would say Ja’Corey, he’s doing excellent right now. He’s a real good ball player. And I think you guys are going to see very much more from him in his coming days.
Q. You’re somewhat new to the Georgia-Alabama thing, but I think this is the fifth time they’ve played in the last few years. Alabama has owned it to this point. But what have you learned kind of about the whole Georgia -Alabama thing? Do you appreciate it more now than when you first showed up?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: I would say it’s a couple games like this that we treat this way now that me being here a full year we had a couple of games like this. But we have the same mentality for every game. We want to go out and dominate and get the job done, really.
Q. When you were at Ohio State what were the biggest things you feel you learned from Brian Hartline there? And what do you feel are the biggest things you’ve learned since moving on to Alabama that made you an even better player?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: Moving to Alabama, I would say I learned to always go hard, even harder than when I went — I’m a real good competitor, but being around guys like this and guys on the team, on the defense, are forcing me to bring out way more than I ever had with these practices and how things go. So I would say I learned to go way harder than I ever did, really, coming to Alabama.
Q. Talk about your relationship with your quarterback. He won the Heisman Trophy. What do you guys work on to make yourself better in each and every game?
JAMESON WILLIAMS: We kind of go through practice and we work on a lot of timing on routes. How this route is going to be seen through this defense, the steps on this route, when to look on this route, the leverage, how to do a lot of things. So me and Bryce, we have a strong relationship. It’s kind of been like that since the summer when I came in, we started working together.
Since then we built a real strong relationship, and now it’s just the same. It’s just way stronger than it was, because we just day-by-day we get closer together and everything. So I would say we have a pretty strong relationship.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
