Jamaal Williams meets with the media following Saints training camp practice on Sunday, educating everyone on the anime love.
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00:00 >> I see the announcement of Alvin Kamara's three games suspension,
00:04 how that changes your perspective of the game and
00:07 also just the running back depth in the room.
00:10 >> It doesn't change nothing what I was here to come and do.
00:13 I just came to be a good teammate, do my job, and just perform at my best.
00:17 So that's pretty much it, I gotta say on that.
00:20 >> Do you look at those first three games that this is gonna be a time,
00:24 there might be more of a rotation obviously once Alvin's in there, but
00:27 those first three games, you might be getting in a bunch.
00:29 Do you look at it that way?
00:30 >> Like I said, go in, do my job, do every game like every other game and
00:37 just perform at the best of my ability.
00:39 So that's pretty much it.
00:41 >> Talking about the sound bites after the Saints, but
00:43 I think Clifford was saying to bring anime stuff,
00:45 seems like everybody's bringing some of this in.
00:47 >> So what? >> You think it's too much anime stuff?
00:49 >> No, no, no, no, no, no.
00:50 It's pretty funny, honestly.
00:52 I enjoy it just cuz it gets my attention.
00:54 That's what I like.
00:56 And people think I'm really faking about me liking just anime stuff.
01:00 So let me say this again, whatever you think you know about NFL players or
01:04 you think you know what we are, you don't know me.
01:08 Cuz I'm not that, I'm literally just a nerd.
01:11 I literally play football, I'm good at football, but yet I know what I like.
01:14 And that's anime, that's my social life, that's my off the field thing.
01:18 This is work for me, this is work.
01:21 Like people think we just playing a sport and all that.
01:24 It's work, it's a sport, I love it.
01:26 I'm grateful to do it.
01:27 And I knew what I was good at and I knew I was good at playing football.
01:30 But at the same time, I know what I like off the field.
01:33 And that's, I'm just a nerd.
01:34 I literally walk around running around like a ninja.
01:37 I literally watch anime every day.
01:39 Like, that's me.
01:40 So when people bring it out and fans bring me just anime things and
01:45 they point it out to me, I see that.
01:47 And that to me shows a sign of respect and
01:49 acknowledgement of they see me as a person, not just as a football player, but
01:53 as Jamal Warden.
01:54 And if I feel like you just see me as another number on the field or
01:58 you just see me playing football and you're yelling out my name, but
02:00 you just want the signature.
02:04 We really don't have a connection like that, you know what I mean?
02:06 But when you actually bring something of my interest of anime,
02:10 it may be for you, you may bring it out just for me to sign that.
02:13 I'm down for that, cuz you brought something that interests me,
02:15 you know what I mean?
02:16 So, and there's some people who don't even know nothing about anime, but
02:19 they still bring it cuz they understand me as a person.
02:22 You bring anime, you're my first priority.
02:24 And if people be looking at me crazy, people are passing them up.
02:26 Wow, there's somebody who got a fun pop of Sasuke or Naruto or
02:31 Luffy or Morigeku, yeah.
02:35 Some of y'all don't even know what I'm talking about.
02:36 Exactly, that's exactly what I'm talking about.
02:39 So if you don't know what I'm talking about, then I ain't for you, that's all.
02:43 But once I get through all my anime fans, I get back and
02:46 I try to sign as much as I can for anybody.
02:49 I'm literally the last person that be out there signing, honestly.
02:52 But I gotta get to the people who respect me as a person,
02:55 who don't just see me as a football player.
02:57 They see me as a person, Jamal Williams, and
03:01 as Jamal Williams, the football player.
03:03 But once you respect me like a real person, not just what I do,
03:07 then I have a different type of connection with you.
03:10 And then you become my first priority, so that's it.
03:13 >> What's the best thing you've gotten so far?
03:15 >> Man, I got this hat, I got a fanny pack.
03:18 And the crazy part is I make people sign them.
03:20 I make them sign it just cuz it goes in my game room, honestly.
03:24 It goes in my house.
03:25 Those are my aesthetics in my house.
03:27 People giving me stuff and I just put it all around my house, on the floor,
03:30 on the counters, in the windows.
03:32 I put them everywhere, just cuz to me,
03:36 that's a connection that will forever be built.
03:39 We don't play football for long, but just making connections with fans of
03:43 them bringing me stuff that I can hold on forever.
03:46 And just for memories, it's something that I hold deep in my heart.
03:51 >> What initially piqued your interest in that genre?
03:54 >> What, anime?
03:55 Just growing up with it.
03:57 Naruto, watching it on Cartoon Network, and that's pretty much it, really.
04:02 Like even when I was little, I didn't really know what I was watching yet,
04:05 until I got older.
04:06 And I was like, snap, so that was anime this whole time I was watching.
04:09 So, but it's just growing up and just learning, you know what I mean?
04:13 But I just loved it since I was a kid.
04:14 I just love the lessons you can get from it.
04:18 It may be dramatized or
04:20 an organization of adversities that they go through.
04:25 But I can still take what they go through in anime and
04:28 reflect it into my own life.
04:29 Cuz we all go through adversity, we all go through things.
04:33 But they always have, they give me a lesson of just always having a half full
04:39 mentality, you know what I mean?
04:40 Even when things are going bad,
04:41 you can still think positive to make the outcome be better.
04:44 You always can make your results better and you can always control your mindset.
04:49 You don't have to be negative when negative things happen.
04:51 You can stay positive, you can keep yourself motivated.
04:53 Cuz the more you stay motivated, things will change.
04:56 So just have a strong will in your mind and believe in yourself.
04:59 That's all you need in life.
05:01 >> How many times have you been to Japan?
05:02 >> Once.
05:03 I'm an inside man.
05:04 I'd rather stay at my house than anything.
05:07 A vacation to me is just never leaving my house if I can, shoot.
05:12 >> And watching anime.
05:14 >> And watching anime.
05:15 >> Yep, anime, video games, that's pretty much me right there.
05:19 >> Jamal, how much did that half full mentality play into that last game of
05:23 the season last year?
05:25 That was such an emotional moment for the Lions and
05:27 the win against the Packers.
05:29 Did that half full mentality play a big role in that?
05:32 >> Well, one, I didn't know what was happening.
05:34 I told nobody, don't tell me nothing about the game.
05:37 I didn't watch the game.
05:38 So my motivation was never gonna be faltered by what was happening in
05:43 another game, you know what I mean?
05:44 So I just wanna make sure I just had my mindset right for my teammates and
05:48 let them know that I'm going in with the mindset that we're going to the playoffs
05:51 if we win this game.
05:52 So and then I had just adversity, family deaths in my family that was just recent.
06:01 And just coming up to that game was just a lot that I just felt like.
06:05 I had a great game.
06:07 I did a lot and I just felt like I just represented them well.
06:09 And so after we won and all that,
06:12 it was just the first people to come to my mind at the time.
06:16 So I have no shame in just showing my emotions when things are going through
06:20 because everybody got them, so that's all.
06:23 >> Was there anything about the way that maybe the New Orleans Saints organization
06:27 presented itself to you over the courtship of this offseason that maybe felt like
06:32 there's that last half full opportunity there?
06:35 >> They just wanted me, that's it.
06:36 We had no problems of what we wanted to come into contact with,
06:40 what our deal was.
06:41 We got it done and then they brought me in and
06:43 they tell me what they want me to do, cool, let's get to it.
06:46 So I have no problem with it.
06:48 They came with me with so much respect, they wanted me, they want me to be there,
06:52 want me to be here, and it's just been blessings being here.
06:55 I just love the energy, just the motivation from everybody,
06:59 just the constant challenge that everybody does for each other.
07:05 And we're just iron sharp as iron, we're competitive, yet at the same time,
07:08 we can all, we all friends afterwards.
07:10 But once we get on the field again, we're competitive again.
07:13 And that's what I love about it, we can switch it on and off.
07:15 There's no beef off of the field from when we're on the field, you know what I mean?
07:19 And that's what I love about this team, is just everybody's a competitor.
07:22 Everybody wants to be the best in their position and just be the best them.
07:27 So we're just challenging each other, but
07:29 at the same time, we know we're just getting ready to be a great team.
07:33 >> Have you gotten a good sense yet, I don't know how to practice this, but
07:37 what it might be like this season to run a design run
07:42 behind wherever Trevor Penning is running?
07:46 >> I don't know, I do love the line.
07:49 They just, the linemen in general, they have so
07:52 much personality that I wish I did have.
07:56 It takes a minute for me to read minds out, but they're just great people.
08:00 I just love how our line is movable.
08:03 Our line get off the ball and they really make holes for us.
08:06 So I just know the more and more we get comfortable with each other,
08:10 they'll see how I run, how I wanna get through.
08:13 But they make it so easy to get in, running the ball,
08:16 that I feel like I won't have to make drastic decisions.
08:20 I just forget that it's a big play, so just grateful to be here.
08:24 It's time for one more.
08:25 >> Jamal, what's your relationship been like with Kendrick Miller?
08:27 As a guy who asks a lot of questions,
08:29 do you have certain advice you'd like to pass on to rookies?
08:33 >> Yeah, honestly, I just try to just tell them,
08:37 just keep playing like it's your last play.
08:40 Don't come in, relax your days, don't come in like it's college and you're the man.
08:44 Cuz here, you're a rookie, so you're gonna get tested.
08:48 And if you're not ready to get tested every day by players,
08:52 then it's gonna be a little hard for you.
08:53 In fact, it's gonna be a long, long for you.
08:56 You're gonna dread certain times.
08:58 Those are the times in your head when you're gonna have to mental battle with
09:02 you to know that you can do it.
09:04 Keep stressing, keep running after the players.
09:07 Be the last person to make defenses, give up on the ball.
09:11 So just tell him, just keep the effort going.
09:14 He's doing great, he's doing awesome.
09:15 It's just him just understanding you just gotta keep that effort 100% of the time.
09:19 Every time you get a ball, 100% effort.
09:22 You know what I mean? Finish 100% effort.
09:24 That's all he's trying to tell me.
09:25 He's doing great, he's picking it up.
09:28 I'm proud of him, having him as a teammate.
09:31 No ego or something like that.
09:33 He takes everything that me and AK tell him.
09:36 So I'm just grateful to be here with him,
09:38 try to help him on his way, on his football career.
09:41 And he's doing a great job.