ALLEN PARK — Tyleik Williams, who played four seasons at Ohio State, learned to hate Michigan. Afterall, it was all a part of the program. But on Friday, he seemed genuinely happy to be standing in the Wolverine State wearing a Detroit Lions hat.
Williams, a defensive tackle, was the Lions first-round pick (28th overall) in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
“It’s definitely crazy. I’ve learned to hate this state for the last four years. I’m just happy I can put that all behind me,’’ Williams said when introduced to Detroit on Friday at the Lions facility.
A self-professed film junkie, Williams’ work ethic seems unquestionable. More proof? When he showed up at Ohio State as a freshman, he tipped the scales at 360-ish. He blames COVID and just plain overeating. But with the help of a nutritionist and putting in the hard work, he was able to get down to 317.
“I would say I was born with it, the work ethic has been with me my whole life. I think in college I had a great support staff around me who helped elevate that,’’ Williams said.
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson knows Williams well. He is a huge fan.
“Two things off the bat, his initial quickness off the ball and for a big guy to be able to bend and turn corners like he does. It’s unprecedented. You saw him do that very easily,’’ Johnson said in a conference call on Friday.
“I think the thing that separates Tyleik from anybody else is his football IQ. He’s really brilliant and he’s picking up technique, he’s picking up signals from the line of scrimmage. I think that’s his advantage. He’s really smart, he studied video tape and it makes him separate himself from most guys I’ve coached,’’ Johnson added.
When asked to compare Williams to NFL defensive tackles, Johnson said he sees similarities to Aaron Donald, one of the best NFL defensive linemen ever, in the way they both move.
“Don’t get me wrong, I understand he’s not Aaron Donald, but his movement skills, being able to change direction. I think Tyleik has the same kind of moves,’’ Johnson said. “He can go power or he can go finesse up the field, if given the opportunity. But Aaron Donald is in a league by himself. I don’t want to put that pressure on Tyleik going into the league that he’s Aaron Donald. There are some things that Aaron Donald does real easy and Tyleik has the same kind of movement skills. Aaron Donald is a really special player. I don’t think there are many guys like him.’’
Along with Williams’ size (6-3, 334), ability and drive, he seems a perfect match for the Lions who are big on character.
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard had to be one of the happiest guys in Detroit after the pick.
“Coach Shep, I just met him and I already love him. He’s a high-energy guy, he tells me how much he loves my game and how I play and how I can help the team,’’ Williams said. “You need a guy like that in your corner.’’
He brought five family members with him to the Lions facility on Friday afternoon.
“Why I play the game is for my family, my wife, taking care of them and doing the thing I wanted to do is football,’’ Williams said “I think family is what drives me, knowing I have them in my corner. If I’m sad or something I always have someone to lean on they’re not going to sugarcoat anything, they’re going to tell me how it is.’’
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