RB Jamaal Williams Considering Doing 'Lambeau Leap' If Touchdown Scored
Jamaal Williams is gearing up for a homecoming.
Now a Detroit Lion, Williams spent the first four years of his career with the Green Bay Packers. He’ll get to revisit some of his old teammates when Detroit takes on the Packers on Monday Night Football.
The nationally televised Week 2 matchup will be the first time the running back has played his former team, as the Packers elected to go in a different direction following the 2020 season, sticking with the tandem of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
This decision made Williams a free agent. In turn, he signed with Detroit this past offseason.
“It’s part of the business,” Williams said. “Everybody makes their choices. I think that I’ve just got to control what I can control and just go out here. I’m grateful to be here. They gave me my shot, and I’m just gonna give everything I can to this team. It’s gonna be a blast, just going out there and enjoying playing some football.”
In four years with Green Bay, Williams totaled 500 carries for 1,985 yards and 10 touchdowns. As far as leaving the organization, the BYU product said it can be hard but was thankful the Lions took a chance on him.
“If I could’ve stayed, I could’ve stayed,” Williams said. “If I can’t, then they ain’t want me. Like that ex-girlfriend, I’ve gotta go. I’m happy I’ve got a rebound, named the Lions. They picked me up. Now they feeding me good, they taking me to dinner. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
He made a statement in his first game as a Lion, amassing 110 total yards, plus a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like it was a good first week,” Williams said. “Really just seeing things that I didn’t get to see before. But, really, the more and more I get to see the situations I’m in, now I get to run the ball and I get to be more explosive. I get to do more, so I’m just excited. I’m just grateful to be on this team. I’m grateful for my linemen, my receivers, anybody who blocks. Me and (D’Andre Swift) are really just having fun out there.”
© Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC
© Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Now, he gets to return to his former team and Lambeau Field. At the home of the Packers, there is a tradition observed when a member of the home team scores a touchdown. It's known as the "Lambeau leap."
Williams is no longer a Packer, but this doesn’t mean he won’t give the hometown-staple celebration a chance if he gets into the end zone.
“I might, honestly,” Williams said. “I might just jump into some Lions fans. I still might Lambeau leap. I’ve been thinking about it.”
The Lions have been searching for stability in the run game as an organization for years. Williams and Swift hope to bring that with their one-two punch.
With Detroit playing from behind for so long in its season opener, the run game had to be abandoned. Should the game be closer Monday night, as the Lions hope, it will give fans an extended look at the running back duo.
“I think it’s just showing our versatility and our abilities and what we can do,” Williams said. “Just trying to take some of the pressure off in the throwing game and just running, man. Because we love running and are grateful to do it. We’ve got pride in that room, and the linemen have pride in that room. So, we’re just having fun with it.”
