Undrafted WR Ready for Opportunity With Steelers

Preparation Key to Success

What stood out as I and several other reporters spoke with Williams was how often he referred back to staying prepared. Whether it’s the work he put in before the year began, returning punts and making plays in preseason contests, or taking advantage of a higher volume of practice snaps, Williams consistently demonstrates an eagerness and readiness to contribute.

“I’m prepared every week like I’m about to play,” he said. ”I’ll sit in the meetings, I’ll take notes, I’ll understand the game plan, whatever, just in case, you never know what happens throughout a week when your name is called.”

That preparedness has given him a potentially golden opportunity. From his arrival earlier this year to Week 6’s final preparations, Williams has been digging and grinding for a shot. When asked by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski about how he's improved since training camp, Williams discussed how it's not just about improving from preseason into regular season, it's about finding ways to be better each and every day.

“I believe each day I’ve gotten better and just continued to develop,” he said. “And prepare for when my name will be called. It’s not about being better from training camp to now, it’s getting better every day.”

Special Teams Boost

The key talent that Williams brings to this depleted receiver group is special teams skills. The deceptively quick receiver was given several opportunities in training camp and the preseason to practice punt and kick returning. He said that effort in the preseason is paying off now as he prepares to possibly step in for an injured Austin.

“They put me back there, let me work a little bit, just to see what I can do,” he said about returning punts in preseason. “In case somebody like Calvin (Austin III) went down. And now, that might be an opportunity.”