If there is one thing that Cleveland Browns fans will soon discover about new linebacker Quincy Williams, it is that he is not lacking for personality. Williams was brought over from the Jets as a free agent in March to replace Devin Bush, and was a chief target of new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, who was Williams’ position coach in New York before he moved on to Atlanta.
Williams did not leave the Big Apple in on the best of terms. He had a shoulder injury that cost him four games, and also had a practice confrontation with one of his coaches that led to him being benched in Week 5, which was coincidentally played against the Browns. He was not benched for the entire game, just for the opening series, but he said he played the rest of the game off of “rage.”
As Williams earlier explained about his time with the Jets, “Last year was one of those seasons where I feel like I didn’t even play football.”
Quincy Williams Ready for Jets Showdown
So when the Browns got their new schedule earlier this month, Williams was quick to grab a marker and put a circle around the Week 5 game in New York. He will be happy, too, to return to Jacksonville in Week 1–he was drafted by the Jags in the third round in 2019 and played his first two seasons there.
He told reporters: “Back to my hometown, Jacksonville, that’s where I got drafted at so you know I am ready. That’s circled on my calendar, and we go to the Jets, that’s circled on my calendar if that’s your next question. I can already give you that answer.”
Quincy Williams With Sport Green Hair for the Browns
Now, one of Williams’ series of quirks is that he dyes his hair green, which worked fine while he was with the Jets. But in his first meeting with the media in March, there was some question about when he would keep that going with the Browns. He has made a decision: It’s staying green out of respect for the Joker, the Batman character with which he identifies.
Said Williams: “I’m ready. And we go to New York. The Joker is coming back to New York. I am happy about that. I am going green, I am staying green. My hair is green because of the Joker. I got this persona from Brian Dawkins, his biggest thing with me on the field, totally different person. Came with the mindset of, I am a very happy person off the field. On the field, I gotta find a switch so, my switch is the Joker.”
Browns Getting OTAs Going Again
As for his new team, the Browns are using their OTAs–the second round of OTAs begins on Tuesday in Barea–to get some of the younger players accustomed to what new coach Todd Monken wants. That, Williams said, has been a focus.
“We have a lot of younger guys,” he added. “So you get that aspect whether you have the same coach and younger guys—really just filling in those spaces at the end and just really getting everybody prepared to play. You get a new head coach and you have those players walking on eggshells just because they’re trying to get the head coach to see that they’re talented, things like that, and where they fit into the new scheme, offense or defense. The biggest thing is making plays.”
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