TAMPA -- It seems strange to call him a former Bull, but less than a month after the Sun Bowl, Trae Williams is on to the next phase of his playing career. Williams was in Houston for the East-West Shrine Game last weekend where he was closley observed by 100-plus NFL scouts.
Williams is devoting nearly all of his time to training and improving before the NFL Draft Combine Feb. 20-26, but he found a couple free minutes to check in with GoUSFBulls.com.
GoUSFBulls.com: Tells us about Houston and your time at the East-West Shrine Game?
Trae Williams: Got there Saturday and interviewed with some teams before anything official started. Sunday I went to the east Shrine Hospital, was there about four hours, spent some time with the kids, played some games, danced with them, ate with them, sign some autographs, face painting, things like that. Monday we began practice, more meetings with the teams. Tuesday practice, Wednesday practice more meetings with the teams, Thursday practice meetings with the teams. Friday was more relaxed and Saturday was the game.
As far as practice goes I had a pretty good week, I had an interceptions, pass break-ups, I still need to work on my back pedaling some.
GoUSFBulls.com: How much practice did the agent give before you went to Houston?
Trae Williams: A lot of practice, as far as questions and stuff and knowing how to answer questions when they ask you. Certain things you have to be prepared for. Some of them can kind of be kind of like, “Oh, I wasn't expecting that question.” They want to know the how, the why, what you were thinking how you prepared everything is fair game.
GoUSFBulls.com: How do you prepare, does your Agent sit you down or talk to you?
Trae Williams: : You sit down, he talk me through, they ask the same questions every year, they ask about your family, background, have you been suspended, arrested, had any DUI, any failed drug test, things like that, steroids, all kinds of stuff.
GoUSFBulls.com: What's the hardest question they asked you?
Trae Williams: The hardest question they asked you, uh... probably stuff about my teammates.
GoUSFBulls.com: So they were using you as a cross-checker on your teammates?
Trae Williams: Yeah...somewhat. They what to know what I have to say about my teammates and I am sure they will ask them the same things about me. It's a bit of game too, I think they want to see if you are a good teammate. If you will put someone down.
They also asked who off your team would you take with you, pick one person?
GoUSFBulls.com: Who would you take?
Trae Williams: I told them Mike (Jenkins) of course!
GoUSFBulls.com: What was the daily routine?
Trae Williams: We get up around 7 a.m.. Breakfast is from 7 to 8:30. So I get up around 7:45 am, eat, and we have like a little 45 minute special team meeting, have practice, eat and have meetings after practice, and you're pretty much free for the rest of the day. But technically your not free because you have interviews with teams, there are 15 to 20 minute interviews depending on who you talk to.
GoUSFBulls.com: How is that process set up, does your agent set it all up for you or they catch you coming off the field?
Trae Williams: They catch you coming off the field, catch you in the lobby, things like that. Or you get a call after practice, normally I averaged about four a day.
GoUSFBulls.com: Do they get you somewhere quiet where there is nobody around?
Trae Williams: Some of the teams did it in the lobby, somewhat discretely; most of them do it in the hotel room or to a quiet place. Sometimes it might be the in the GM's room with six or more people drilling you with questions, but most of them were like one or two people.
GoUSFBulls.com: Were you nervous?
Trae Williams: Man not really.
GoUSFBulls.com: In the beginning?
Trae Williams: Yeah probably in the beginning but I knew what they were asking me, the questions were all usually the same.
GoUSFBulls.com: Is it like dealing with media and them asking you the same questions week after week.
Trae Williams: I wouldn't say it's the same, because the media will flip it up on you sometimes. Really, if you know how to communicate then there is no problem.
GoUSFBulls.com: How many teams did you meet with?
Trae Williams: Oh I don't know, majority of them in the NFL, a few weren't there but I know I met with over 20 teams.
GoUSFBulls.com: Anybody interview you twice?
Trae Williams: Most of them I met with just once, but they all say that they will follow up with you at the combine.
GoUSFBulls.com: Does the whole process wear you out by the end of the week?
Trae Williams: Yeah by the end of the week you want to rest after practice and you really can't by the time you get to bed you have to wake up early again. At the end I was ready to go to sleep for the whole day and stay in the bed.
GoUSFBulls.com: How do compare yourself to the other corners in that game?
Trae Williams: There were some good corners in that game, D.J. Parker from Virginia Tech and John Wilhite from Auburn, were the best of the week in my opinion.
GoUSFBulls.com: What about wide receivers, anybody that impressed you on the other side of the ball?
Trae Williams: Not really, I feel like (USF wide receiver) Amari Jackson should have been at the game, if anything. Some of them were good and I am not saying they were bad by any means. I mean they made it to the all star game.
GoUSFBulls.com: But not a level of talent you hadn't seen before?
Trae Williams: Yeah, I feel like there have been players I went against in practice or in the Big East conference that were just as good, if not better than some of the guys in the game
GoUSFBulls.com: Who did you room with?
Trae Williams: The corner from Auburn, John Wilhite.
GoUSFBulls.com: Did you talk to all the Big East guys?
Trae Williams: Yeah, we talked about who had the better team, the most talented, but at the end of the day we have the most talent in the Big East. We might have lost a few games but we are the best team in the Big East.
GoUSFBulls.com: Your teammate Richard Clebert said he wouldn't talk to the Rutgers guys.
Trae Williams: Yeah.
GoUSFBulls.com: Did you talk to them?
Trae Williams: You know I didn't get into all that. It's in the past. West Virginia was talking a little bit and I was like you better be quiet.
I said, “We got ya'll, ya'll never beat us.”
And they wanted to know, how we got to number two in the nation and lost
I just asked them, “What happened when you were number two and played Pitt?” That was about all the trash talking I did.
GoUSFBulls.com: What about coach Dick Vermeil, how was he?
Trae Williams: Good guy, good guy... emotional guy, good guy.
GoUSFBulls.com: Any similarities between him and Coach Leavitt?
Trae Williams: No, no, no. Coach Vermeil is a nice and quiet guy. He can get real emotional and he did when Priest Holmes came out to talk to us.
Coach Leavitt, he is just a rowdy guy all the time.
GoUSFBulls.com: Game highlights for you?
Trae Williams: Not really, just beating guys up on punt team and doubling up on our side, you know we got a kick out of that. Then I had one good hit on an end-around. I got him pretty good.
Other than that, I was just happy to get out the game healthy. You know the guy from Oklahoma hurt his knee on the first play of the game, so I was like man I hope I don't get hurt. I came in thinking, I am going to go all out and then I reassessed and was just happy to come out healthy.
GoUSFBulls.com: Do you get a bunch of free gear?
Trae Williams: Yeah, I got some sweat pants, sweat shoes, shirt, a bag and $150 in per diem.
GoUSFBulls.com: Did the any NFL team hook you up with anything?
Trae Williams: Nope, but the NFL Player's Association gave us a bag full of clothes.
GoUSFBulls.com: Did you exchange helmet stickers with all the guys?
Trae Williams: Yeah we did in the beginning of ours but I didn't bring back many.
GoUSFBulls.com: Overall impressions of how you did.
Trae Williams: I think I did pretty well, the guys said good things about me. That is the main thing and I did well in my interviews. My forty time will determine how high I go.
GoUSFBulls.com: What's your goal?
Trae Williams: A 4.3, that's my goal.
GoUSFBulls.com: What's the fastest you have run?
Trae Williams: A 4.40. It's possible (to run a 4.3), if I drop a few pounds and get back to 185, somewhere around there.
GoUSFBulls.com: So you're going to Pensacola to train, when are going to relocate?
Trae Williams: January 27th.
GoUSFBulls.com: How long will you be there?
Trae Williams: Until right after combine (Feb. 20-26). Then I am going to get my stuff and head back down to Tampa.
GoUSFBulls.com: What's the workout schedule there?
Trae Williams: Wake up 6:30 a.m. and we practice at seven, work out eight to ten, chill for a little while and back out from 2-4 p.m. That's my day.
GoUSFBulls.com: What is the name of the facility?
Trae Williams: This place called API, they have a few guys that have worked in the NFL.
GoUSFBulls.com: Who else is working out there?
Trae Williams: We have players from Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Georgia, USC, Cal, Colorado, San Diego and Texas A&M.
GoUSFBulls.com: Is it the toughest workout you have ever been through? Or is it just fine tuning stuff?
Trae Williams: More fine tuning. Coach (Ronnie) McKeefery still has the hardest workouts I have ever experienced. Coach Mac put the hammer down.
GoUSFBulls.com: Do you feel any pressure through all the process?
Trae Williams: At times... like the process of trying to run a 4.3. I try not to think about it. I just go out and run. It is what it is. All I can do is buckle down and work hard on my training and hopefully it will pay of in the end.
GoUSFBulls.com: Have you been invited to the combine?
Trae Williams: Right, along with Ben Moffitt and Mike Jenkins. Richard Clebert is trying to get his invite.
GoUSFBulls.com: Give your final analysis of your performance.
Trae Williams:You know... I have some things to work on but I heard good things from the NFL scouts and I thought I was the best corner there.
