Green Bay Packers: Evan Williams Flexes Title That Players Are Fighting Over in Training Camp 1 Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams (33) before action against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Green Bay Packers: Evan Williams Flexes Title That Players Are Fighting Over in Training Camp

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 1:59 AM ET

Defense has become a huge asset for the Green Bay Packers following the arrival of Jeff Hafley as the team’s defensive coordinator. In Hafley’s first season in the role, the Packers were one of just four teams in the league to come away with at least 30 takeaways, as they amassed 31 — 17 via interceptions and 14 on fumble recoveries. They also finished the 2024 campaign with the eighth-most sacks, coming up with 45 quarterback takedowns.

While that’s all in the past now for the Packers, Hafley wants the team to maintain such defensive intensity in pursuing the ball and forcing turnovers in 2024, and the road to achieving the team’s defensive goals begins in training camp.

“The No. 1 emphasis this training camp over everything is, one, playstyle … how hard we’re gonna play, how physical we’re gonna play, how we run to the ball. That’s non-negotiable.” Hafley said (via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). “Two, we have to force more fumbles. … We want to lead the league in forced fumbles. We are going to have to work at it, and that’s very important to us.”

Williams flexes WWE-style belt in training camp

Green Bay Packers: Evan Williams Flexes Title That Players Are Fighting Over in Training Camp 2 Green Bay Packers safety Evan Williams (33) gives young fans high fives while participating in the Dream Drive bicycle ride on the third day of training camp July 25, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis.

The good news for Hafley is that the players are all in on the vision. The team even has a WWE-style belt that they are going after in a friendly competition against each other. Broken into three teams, Green Bay’s defense competes for the belt, with the side with the most points based on what they do on the practice field taking it.

“This week, we have like a little WWE Packers belt that we got, and I was actually the MVP of the team that was winning this week, so I was wearing it over my shoulders all week, strutting around the facility and all that,” safety Evan Williams said, per Schneidman. “You see somebody walking around with that, you’re like, ‘OK, I want that. I want to be the guy that’s making a name for myself in that matter.’ So yeah, definitely, it’s a healthy competition and I feel like everybody’s buying into it, for real.”

Green Bay Packers: Evan Williams Flexes Title That Players Are Fighting Over in Training Camp 3 Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard (20), cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Evan Williams (33) scramble to recover a fumble by Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 34-13Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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