THOUSAND OAKS — During the training camp of his rookie year, Kyren Williams wasn’t able to take the field. The Rams running back had undergone surgery in June to repair a broken foot and was limited to rehab work.
It’s the kind of setback, missing the first padded practices of your first NFL season, that could have been severely detrimental to a rookie’s development. Several fifth-round picks like Williams have faded away due to less.
But Williams kept a walkie-talkie and microphone with him on the sidelines at UC Irvine, listening to play calls while he did his rehab.
“I tried to keep up as much as possible when I was injured off the field,” Williams said. “That wasn’t really a problem for me. It was more mental, like, how was I able to find myself? That was my biggest part. Keeping up with this stuff, with what I love, that’s not hard.”
Williams’ approach has paid off in a big way. Through the first two weeks of his sophomore season, he has grabbed a hold of the Rams’ starting running back job. With Cam Akers traded to Minnesota, that role is undisputed.
“He’s a complete back. He’s got the ability to play on all downs,” Coach Sean McVay said. “He’s really put the work in, he’s earned a lot of trust from his coaches, from his teammates and he’s a guy that just continues to take steps in the right direction. He’s a great example for those guys.”
Success is never guaranteed in the NFL, even for someone coming out of a school like Notre Dame. Especially when injuries befall you early in your career. After the foot surgery, Williams suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 last season. The injury required another operation, and he missed the next eight weeks.
But Williams continued to take mental reps on the sidelines. He didn’t have a starring role upon his return, but he showed flashes, averaging 4.0 yards per carry and 8.4 per reception out of the backfield.
Throughout the early parts of the season, Williams has impressed his coaches and teammates not just with his production – four touchdowns in two weeks – but with his ability to learn new concepts, with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur saying it takes one explanation for Williams to have it down.
“I think it’s just in me. I love football. I love it to its core, I love everything about it,” Williams said. “I love what it creates you, how it makes you and everything you become because of it. So for me, just every day, chasing improvement and trying to find how I can be better for myself, literally. So if that’s being in the film room watching film for two hours, I’ll go do that. It doesn’t matter to me because there’s not much more that I want than this football stuff.”
That might sound like the kind of thing you’d hear from a coach’s son, but Williams’ dad only ever coached him. It’s just the way Williams approaches things, with a sense of the bigger picture beyond his years.
It’s led to praise from his teammates. Center Coleman Shelton has talked about Williams’ reassuring presence in pass protection, giving the line a safety blanket in case of a missed block. Others have praised his grasp of the playbook.
“Every single detail matters to him,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Lots of times, we get to the end of a play call, I’m tagging the back’s route or something and he’s already on it, knowing exactly what he’s got. And he and I have great conversations in the backfield when we’re back there, whether it’s in protection or who we might be hot off of.”
“I’ve always been if you show me something, I’ll be able to show you how to do it. I’m a big observant person,” Williams explained. “That’s all areas. For football right now, it’s my main right now so I put all my time to that.”
BRIEFLY
Wide receiver Puka Nacua (oblique), cornerback Cobie Durant (groin) and center Brian Allen (illness) did not practice on Thursday, while offensive lineman Joe Noteboom (shoulder) and defensive lineman Jonah Williams (back) were limited. McVay said all are expected to play Monday against the Cincinnati Bengals.