June 11, 2025 • 9 mins
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams discusses the importance of team connection and veteran presence during OTAs. He highlights the improved synergy in the team's second year under the current coaching staff (0:10). Williams emphasizes the significance of team connection over individual talent, drawing from his 11 years of NFL experience (0:35). He praises new teammate DeMarcus Lawrence for his leadership and work ethic (2:28). Williams also mentions Brandon Pili's impressive progress during OTAs (3:44) and talks about his own focus on diversifying his pass-rush moves (4:26). He commends Ernest Jones IV for his impact on the team's run defense last season (5:10). Williams shares his personal "why" for playing football, citing how it provided stability in his childhood (7:06), and reflects on his natural leadership qualities since high school (8:48).
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In your mind. Is it a big deal that all
the best for you and that the entire team was
here for these practices.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I think it is a big deal because obviously this
part is mandatory. But I think throughout all of OTA's
the Vets have been doing a good job of like
showing up. You know, there's been times where they've missed
a few days, but I think overall, just the overall
vibe of the team, it just feels like everyone's locked
in and like wants to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Like, let's talk about the connection.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm sure you feel bad as a player. I mean
I feel it a lot. I'm obviously going into year eleven,
so I played a lot of football, been on a
lot of teams, and not only do we am, I
scene that we have a very talented team right now.
One thing that stands out above the talent is just
the connection. And that's something that I've been trying to
(00:52):
talk to the guys that's like really gonna take us
to that next level where we want to go, because
I've told them I've been on tons of talented teams
that you know, we have great players and all positions,
but we just didn't have that same connection and you know,
we had a ten win season but didn't go to
the playoffs and stuff like that. And I'm telling them
how those small things like having connection and being able
(01:13):
to communicate on and off the field kind of helps
you get to that next level.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
What are you seeing with this table? The continuity? And
obviously the second year, like elteevens, are you seeing the
law would help them or seek out there were compared
towards just like this type of last year.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I mean, I think there's a huge difference. You know,
the coaches got here first time on the staff together
last year, and obviously, you know, everyone wanted to be
bought in and things like that, but it was still new,
it was still fresh. I felt there was like a
learning curve where like the coaches were learning the players,
the players were learning the coaches. You know, coaches were
even learning each other. And I think this year we
(01:51):
kind of have a year under our belt. Now we
kind of know what to expect out of Mike, we
know what to expect out of Ad and like everyone else,
all the other coaches, and now we're able to actually
like just take turn it up a notch, you know
what I mean, And it's uh everything that we started
to integrate last year is kind of like we're just
building on that now. Some of my dallas for what's
impression of like Mark has coming here.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
In the apartment script.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Uh. I mean we haven't been able to be in
pass and stuff like that yet, so you know, I
haven't been able to see him fully play, like we
haven't been able to play next to each other or
anything like that. But I think just the type of
leadership and like mindset that he brings to the team
is just like phenomenal. You know, he's a dog like
he he speaks a lot, he plays hard. He's going
(02:34):
into year like twelve and he's out there practicing harder
than some of the rookies. So we're getting on the
rookies like saying, okay, this is an example. This guy's
going into year twelve. He has nothing to prove, but
he's out there working his craft as hard as he
can every day. And you know, he's one of those
guys that shows up as an example and also as leadership.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Going against the offensive line, obviously it means some changes
there of the sea and stuff like that. Kind of
I guess the difference in that and what you have
thought on kind.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Of health that like, OK this year, yeah, I mean again,
it's gonna be hard to say until we get in
paths and uh in camp and stuff like that. But
so far, something that haste out to me is the
communication and just like the drive and want to I
could just see a different mindset and and uh it
starts with just even their approach to the line. I'm
seeing them like break out of the huddle and just
(03:20):
attack the line and that kind of puts pressure on
the defense and especially you know, me playing up front
as a D lineman, I have to like try to
hurry up and get in my stance when they come
out that fast. And uh, you know I've been trying
to encourage them to keep doing that and that it
puts pressure on defenses. Pressure. Brandon Feeler, oh pe Lely,
I mean he's been one of those guys throughout OTAs
(03:41):
that's like stood out for us because even in meetings
the other day, he uh he, I guess he put
on the most muscle, Like I guess we've been doing
like body skins and stuff like that, and he like
put on the most muscle out of everyone throughout OTAs,
And uh, you can just see like a huge jump
from my week one of OTAs till now. And you
can also just see like a confidence level growing them
(04:03):
growing in him. And he's been more vocal, just more
confident and just having fun out there. And I think
he's becoming a good player for us. There's one of the.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Best seasons in your career. Last year helped get your sacks,
get the pick six against their Rodgers. This offseason, what
did you look at a film and look at that
in the season, what are a few things stood out
like this is what I'm going to attack this offseason
to get better at the last year.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I mean, for me, I made a lot of big
players out of power, which is never going to go
away from me. That's, you know, my bread and butter.
That's my game. That's something that I rely on, you know,
playing and play out is just being able to power
guys when I want to. But I think something that
me and Ad are working on is being able to
learn when I can like do more for next stuff,
(04:47):
taking edge and you know, really keep the old lineman
guessing on what type of moves I'm going to give them.
And I think last year I was doing a lot
of like bull rushers power moves and stuff like that,
and I want to try to integrate some type of
counters off of when the offensive lineman is trying to
sit on my power. I mean huge. Uh. He actually
(05:11):
just talked to the defense today and we made a
big emphasis on how he came the middle of the
season last year and how you know, we were struggling
with the run game, you know, kind of pretty much
the whole beginning part of the season, and somehow as
soon as EJ got here, you know, we kind of
turned that run game defense around. And you know, he
(05:32):
was had a lot of expectations on him coming in,
like starting at middle linebacker. He clearly hadn't learned a
whole new defense, a whole new city, whole new team,
and there was a lot of pressure on him, and
you know, he answered it. You know, he was the
leader of the defense, called the calls with confidence and
played hard, made plays and it was awesome to see
him get a new contract and I'm excited to keep
(05:53):
playing with him. Get tea today. Yeah, I think something
that's been cool and a part of the like connection
that's been like helping helping us grow that connection throughout
OTAs is like in the defensive room, coaches have been
having some of the guys that go up to the
front of the room and like pretty much like talk
about their why, like why they like playing football, why
(06:13):
they like showing up every day, and uh, you know,
they put up some pictures of their family and pictures
of them when they were young, and just talk about,
you know, what they're driving for us. Yeah. Today, I
think it helps a lot because you get to hear
from guys sometimes that you might not always hear from,
and then you get to hear, you know, like someone's why.
(06:37):
Like there's times where you know, obviously going through camp
is gonna be hard. Everyone has tough days, hard days,
And if I see somebody having a hard or tough day,
I could I understand that guy a little deeper now
on a human level, and I can like talk to
him and let him know, like, hey, I know his
why now and I know how to push him a
little better now. Was that? I mean, I haven't been
(07:02):
able to talk to the defense about my why yet,
But for me, I think it just football gave me
everything I have in life. I grew up you know,
homeless at times. I grew up living in in and
out of hotels, motels, and you know, kind of unstable
lifestyle as a as a young kid. And when I
(07:23):
found football in high school, it gave me stability, It
gave me a good male role models in my life,
and it just gave me something to like kind of
distract myself from everything going on at home. So for
me after that, like just learning from coaches, good male
role models in my life, I just like fell in
(07:43):
love with it, fell in love with the camaraderie, the
family aspect of my teammates and stuff like that. And
I'm sure you could ask every single person at this point.
It's never was about the money. The money ends up
coming with it, obviously, but for every single person that
talks about their wives because they had some type of
lifestyle like that growing up and then it kind of
brought them to this point. Is the coach in high
(08:05):
school with yat you at the football? Uh? Yeah, Coach
Kenodo Hudson. He was actually a dB coach at Illinois
when Spoon was there too, So me and Spoon both
know him pretty well. And Spoon was like joking when
I got traded here about how we both had him
as like one of our you know Malero model figures
and h I had him in high school and I
(08:28):
had him at USC as well, and he definitely helped
me when I like didn't like going to class and
didn't like doing school work and all that stuff, because
he understood my why and he kind of helped push
me when I was going through hard times growing up.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Leadership seems being part of the leap All when did
you get that awayness that you have.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Such an un pam Honestly, since like high school, like
I just started playing football and I didn't understand like
how to be a leader necessarily. I didn't understand like
what that role meant and how to how to be
a leader. But you know, every year I was like
voted as a leader. Every year I was voted as
a captain, like since high school, college NFL years, and
(09:07):
I was always like one of those type of guys
on the team where I just had like an infectious personality.
And I think my type of leadership is I make
people like feel safe, so I'm able to like actually
get people's why, like in a one on one setting,
and I'm good at like holding them to that
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Thank you
In your mind. Is it a big deal that all
the best for you and that the entire team was
here for these practices.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I think it is a big deal because obviously this
part is mandatory. But I think throughout all of OTA's
the Vets have been doing a good job of like
showing up. You know, there's been times where they've missed
a few days, but I think overall, just the overall
vibe of the team, it just feels like everyone's locked
in and like wants to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Like, let's talk about the connection.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I'm sure you feel bad as a player. I mean
I feel it a lot. I'm obviously going into year eleven,
so I played a lot of football, been on a
lot of teams, and not only do we am, I
scene that we have a very talented team right now.
One thing that stands out above the talent is just
the connection. And that's something that I've been trying to
(00:52):
talk to the guys that's like really gonna take us
to that next level where we want to go, because
I've told them I've been on tons of talented teams
that you know, we have great players and all positions,
but we just didn't have that same connection and you know,
we had a ten win season but didn't go to
the playoffs and stuff like that. And I'm telling them
how those small things like having connection and being able
(01:13):
to communicate on and off the field kind of helps
you get to that next level.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
What are you seeing with this table? The continuity? And
obviously the second year, like elteevens, are you seeing the
law would help them or seek out there were compared
towards just like this type of last year.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
I mean, I think there's a huge difference. You know,
the coaches got here first time on the staff together
last year, and obviously, you know, everyone wanted to be
bought in and things like that, but it was still new,
it was still fresh. I felt there was like a
learning curve where like the coaches were learning the players,
the players were learning the coaches. You know, coaches were
even learning each other. And I think this year we
(01:51):
kind of have a year under our belt. Now we
kind of know what to expect out of Mike, we
know what to expect out of Ad and like everyone else,
all the other coaches, and now we're able to actually
like just take turn it up a notch, you know
what I mean, And it's uh everything that we started
to integrate last year is kind of like we're just
building on that now. Some of my dallas for what's
impression of like Mark has coming here.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
In the apartment script.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Uh. I mean we haven't been able to be in
pass and stuff like that yet, so you know, I
haven't been able to see him fully play, like we
haven't been able to play next to each other or
anything like that. But I think just the type of
leadership and like mindset that he brings to the team
is just like phenomenal. You know, he's a dog like
he he speaks a lot, he plays hard. He's going
(02:34):
into year like twelve and he's out there practicing harder
than some of the rookies. So we're getting on the
rookies like saying, okay, this is an example. This guy's
going into year twelve. He has nothing to prove, but
he's out there working his craft as hard as he
can every day. And you know, he's one of those
guys that shows up as an example and also as leadership.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Going against the offensive line, obviously it means some changes
there of the sea and stuff like that. Kind of
I guess the difference in that and what you have
thought on kind.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Of health that like, OK this year, yeah, I mean again,
it's gonna be hard to say until we get in
paths and uh in camp and stuff like that. But
so far, something that haste out to me is the
communication and just like the drive and want to I
could just see a different mindset and and uh it
starts with just even their approach to the line. I'm
seeing them like break out of the huddle and just
(03:20):
attack the line and that kind of puts pressure on
the defense and especially you know, me playing up front
as a D lineman, I have to like try to
hurry up and get in my stance when they come
out that fast. And uh, you know I've been trying
to encourage them to keep doing that and that it
puts pressure on defenses. Pressure. Brandon Feeler, oh pe Lely,
I mean he's been one of those guys throughout OTAs
(03:41):
that's like stood out for us because even in meetings
the other day, he uh he, I guess he put
on the most muscle, Like I guess we've been doing
like body skins and stuff like that, and he like
put on the most muscle out of everyone throughout OTAs,
And uh, you can just see like a huge jump
from my week one of OTAs till now. And you
can also just see like a confidence level growing them
(04:03):
growing in him. And he's been more vocal, just more
confident and just having fun out there. And I think
he's becoming a good player for us. There's one of the.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Best seasons in your career. Last year helped get your sacks,
get the pick six against their Rodgers. This offseason, what
did you look at a film and look at that
in the season, what are a few things stood out
like this is what I'm going to attack this offseason
to get better at the last year.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
I mean, for me, I made a lot of big
players out of power, which is never going to go
away from me. That's, you know, my bread and butter.
That's my game. That's something that I rely on, you know,
playing and play out is just being able to power
guys when I want to. But I think something that
me and Ad are working on is being able to
learn when I can like do more for next stuff,
(04:47):
taking edge and you know, really keep the old lineman
guessing on what type of moves I'm going to give them.
And I think last year I was doing a lot
of like bull rushers power moves and stuff like that,
and I want to try to integrate some type of
counters off of when the offensive lineman is trying to
sit on my power. I mean huge. Uh. He actually
(05:11):
just talked to the defense today and we made a
big emphasis on how he came the middle of the
season last year and how you know, we were struggling
with the run game, you know, kind of pretty much
the whole beginning part of the season, and somehow as
soon as EJ got here, you know, we kind of
turned that run game defense around. And you know, he
(05:32):
was had a lot of expectations on him coming in,
like starting at middle linebacker. He clearly hadn't learned a
whole new defense, a whole new city, whole new team,
and there was a lot of pressure on him, and
you know, he answered it. You know, he was the
leader of the defense, called the calls with confidence and
played hard, made plays and it was awesome to see
him get a new contract and I'm excited to keep
(05:53):
playing with him. Get tea today. Yeah, I think something
that's been cool and a part of the like connection
that's been like helping helping us grow that connection throughout
OTAs is like in the defensive room, coaches have been
having some of the guys that go up to the
front of the room and like pretty much like talk
about their why, like why they like playing football, why
(06:13):
they like showing up every day, and uh, you know,
they put up some pictures of their family and pictures
of them when they were young, and just talk about,
you know, what they're driving for us. Yeah. Today, I
think it helps a lot because you get to hear
from guys sometimes that you might not always hear from,
and then you get to hear, you know, like someone's why.
(06:37):
Like there's times where you know, obviously going through camp
is gonna be hard. Everyone has tough days, hard days,
And if I see somebody having a hard or tough day,
I could I understand that guy a little deeper now
on a human level, and I can like talk to
him and let him know, like, hey, I know his
why now and I know how to push him a
little better now. Was that? I mean, I haven't been
(07:02):
able to talk to the defense about my why yet,
But for me, I think it just football gave me
everything I have in life. I grew up you know,
homeless at times. I grew up living in in and
out of hotels, motels, and you know, kind of unstable
lifestyle as a as a young kid. And when I
(07:23):
found football in high school, it gave me stability, It
gave me a good male role models in my life,
and it just gave me something to like kind of
distract myself from everything going on at home. So for
me after that, like just learning from coaches, good male
role models in my life, I just like fell in
(07:43):
love with it, fell in love with the camaraderie, the
family aspect of my teammates and stuff like that. And
I'm sure you could ask every single person at this point.
It's never was about the money. The money ends up
coming with it, obviously, but for every single person that
talks about their wives because they had some type of
lifestyle like that growing up and then it kind of
brought them to this point. Is the coach in high
(08:05):
school with yat you at the football? Uh? Yeah, Coach
Kenodo Hudson. He was actually a dB coach at Illinois
when Spoon was there too, So me and Spoon both
know him pretty well. And Spoon was like joking when
I got traded here about how we both had him
as like one of our you know Malero model figures
and h I had him in high school and I
(08:28):
had him at USC as well, and he definitely helped
me when I like didn't like going to class and
didn't like doing school work and all that stuff, because
he understood my why and he kind of helped push
me when I was going through hard times growing up.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Leadership seems being part of the leap All when did
you get that awayness that you have.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Such an un pam Honestly, since like high school, like
I just started playing football and I didn't understand like
how to be a leader necessarily. I didn't understand like
what that role meant and how to how to be
a leader. But you know, every year I was like
voted as a leader. Every year I was voted as
a captain, like since high school, college NFL years, and
(09:07):
I was always like one of those type of guys
on the team where I just had like an infectious personality.
And I think my type of leadership is I make
people like feel safe, so I'm able to like actually
get people's why, like in a one on one setting,
and I'm good at like holding them to that
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Thank you
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