49ers' Trent Williams Talks Jimmy Garoppolo Injury, Nick Bosa, More in B/R AMA

Timothy Rapp

Dec 28, 2021

San Francisco 49ers star offensive tackle Trent Williams joined B/R for an AMA that spanned a number of topics, from Jimmy Garoppolo's injury and playing under head coach Kyle Shanahan to facing Nick Bosa in practice and which teammate he would choose to be stranded with on a desert island.

@LuckyLuciano How much fun are you having in your career with the Niners right now?

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I’m having a blast. The organization is a very loving, and very professional organization. It almost doesn’t feel like a job; it more so feels like a group of people all working toward one goal.

@BaySean What’s the vibe in the locker room like right now? Are guys more bummed Jimmy got hurt after playing so well or is it more excitement for Trey or a little of both?

It’s hard for me to answer, when we got the news about Jimmy we were already home. I wasn’t able to get a pulse on the locker room. I was in the locker room with Colt (McCoy) and he played through the same injury, and I had the same injury too. Hopefully (Jimmy) will be able to play through it and it won’t end his season.

@GelfDaddy What do you see as the biggest difference between Kyle Shanahan during your time in Washington vs. now in SF?

I see growth. When we first met each other, he was a 30-year-old, first time getting a coordinator job. He did an incredible job and I already knew from that standpoint on, he was gonna do amazing things in the NFL as a coach. I definitely didn’t foresee it coming so quickly. You don’t think people climb the ladder that quick. I think the biggest difference is the growth you see from him as a seasoned ball coach.

@BayLegend Why did you want to create your documentary?

Personally, I didn’t want to make it. I was always real closed off about the whole ordeal. I didn’t want to get nationwide attention about fighting cancer. I chose to fight my battle in private. After all was said and done, my agent leaned on me about what I had went through and helping to build awareness and allowing people to understand what I had to overcome. I was really still apprehensive about it, but I was able to talk to a kid by the name of Carsen Thelen. He was one of the first people outside of the sports world that came and told me he saw my story and drew some type of strength from it. It gave him strength for his fight. I may be smaller than a lot of people, but to me if [Carsen] was paying attention, I had no clue how many people were paying attention. At that point, I realized it would be worth it to show what I went through and I’ve gotten great feedback on how it has helped others.

@kmc21 How and when did you get the silverback nickname?

The name came about in college. It was a whole demeanor deal; the strength, the speed, the quietness off the field. It kinda just stuck. Silverbacks have always been one of my favorite species, I’m a big Natural Geographic guy. So I’ve always liked it.

@LuckyLuciano How long did the silverback tattoo take?

A little over 12 hours.

@SapinZHouz Why No. 71?

Walter Jones. I wore 70 growing up because my older brother wore that, but when he went to college, it was time for me to create my own name. I went and found the best LT I thought I could relate to, and it was Walter Jones. I always loved how much love the broadcasters showed him during games.

@Bombay Funniest person on the 49ers?

There’s some characters. Deebo is a pretty fun guy to be around. DJ Jones, I’m always dying laughing at him. Arden Key is a big jokester, he keeps the mood light. I’d probably lean toward Arden.

@TeeDawgie Who wins more 1v1s in practice: you or Nick Bosa?

I knew someone would ask that! Naturally, OL will win the majority of the battles. But, when the defensive line wins the battle, it is normally a bigger deal than our side.

I’ve never had as much trouble during a 1 on 1 in my career as I’ve had with Nick. Not even close. I’m used to winning about 99 out of 100 of my battles, but I’d say Nick has taken that percentage down quite a bit.

@TWilli Who is the best DE you’ve gone against?

I’ve never played Nick in a game so it’s hard to give a fair assessment. It’s hard-pressed for me to find any edge rusher or defensive end that would grab my respect as much as Nick or who I think is playing as good as Nick. In the totality of my career, I think he is top 3/top 5 for sure. When you watch him, it’s hard to find someone playing better. He does everything that you want your edge rusher to do. He’s just drawing a lot of respect from me. I know I’m biased, but it’s just me calling apples, apples. I still think guys like Chandler Jones or Von Miller are two of the hardest draws to block in the NFL, but I think Nick is now joining that conversation.

@Disnncjdkdk If you got stuck on an island with only one teammate, who are you picking and why?

Part of me wants to say Kittle. Not that he has some incredible survival skills, but he does have the ability to make any crappy situation better. You rarely catch him in a bad mood or a down mood. I would think in a crappy situation it would be cool to have a guy who takes your mind out of that situation. But when it comes to natural survival instincts, I’d go with one of my fellow O-linemen. I’d say either Colton McKivitz or Alex Mack. I’d probably be going down that road.

@LavineMVP Best trash talker you’ve gone against?

I’m a quiet type of football player. I used to talk a lot when I was younger, but now I let my game do my talking. But there are guys who have a gift for trash talking. Mike Daniels…I used to watch him get in everyone’s head. He’s one of those guys who wouldn’t shut up. Even when you blocked him, he’d let you know it wasn’t good enough. Brandon Graham is brilliant at it because he just doesn’t shut up; from the time you walk out on the field to when you’re shaking hands, he never lets up. If he has a mic’d up somewhere, it’d be must-watch TV.

@GuamLuv7 Do you have a favorite pancake block? Is there anyone on the defensive side you would love to get real good ?

I want to get everyone I come in contact with. My most favorite…the one in Arizona is probably my favorite because I don’t have many like that.

@Wes7 What’s the biggest thing you would have done differently in high school to prepare yourself for the next level?

I wish I would’ve known how important the work you do when nobody is looking is to your development. In the NFL, everybody is going to give you a couple hours of hard work. When you are your own motivator, I think you develop way sooner. The confidence you build from knowing you put that work in when nobody else was, I think it helps you so much. Our job is built on confidence. It’s not about how well you can block one person, but it’s about how you can block every person on every play. No matter how big a highlight is for an offensive lineman, that next play is way more important than the last one. Building the confidence helps build consistency, and I think consistency is the life blood of an offensive lineman.

Rapid Fire

@RKun09 Is it called soda or pop?

Soda

@Angelo24_26 Favorite NFL player to watch (can be all-time or current)?

First player that made me fall in love with the game is Eddie George. I was a RB when I first started playing. He was the first jersey I ever got. I always liked to watch him. I was fascinated by Walter Jones as an OL. Currently, Adrian Peterson in his prime was one of my favorite people to watch. Just what he brought to the game and how I felt he changed the RB. And then, who doesn’t like to watch Tom Brady? Cool as a cucumber under pressure and he continues to finds ways to get it done.

@Ben003 Do you enjoy eating pancakes?

I’m more of a waffle guy, honestly.

@Yowtfsol Which player has the best drip in the locker room besides you?

Deebo is always dripping. Even Trey Lance, for a rookie, he’s shown some next-level drip. I’d say Deebo comes in second.

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