AUDIO: Cary Williams "I got a lot of respect for those guys"
Williams started a fight with then-rookie Aaron Dobson during last year's joint practices |
Eagles cornerback Cary Williams made headlines last week with his comments, calling the Patriots "cheaters" and questioning the legitimacy of their three Super Bowl wins. If there was any question whether Eagles coach Chip Kelly, a longtime friend of Bill Belichick, told his cornerback to turn it down, it was likely answered today, as Williams was nothing but diplomatic after today's joint practice with the Patriots.
“I think it’s tremendous. Like I said, I got a lot of respect for those guys, especially that guy who wear(s) the No. 12 jersey. He’s a great player. Just from the experience of playing against him, he’s a competitor. He’s going to come out and compete every time he’s between the white lines. It’s great for us to go out there and get that work against a true Hall of Famer and a true testament to hard work.”
Williams was competitive in practice, showing up early with two wins in one-on-one drills against Kenbrell Thompkins. The record-setting crowd did get on the corner later during team work after Thompkins beat him down the sideline for a big game, but Williams shrugged that off as par for the course.
“That’s every day in the National Football League, man,” Williams said. “You let that stuff get to you, then you don’t belong here. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a regular day in the office. … If you don’t get booed at some point, then you’re not doing your job right."
“It was a comment that I made, and that was that. That was then, this is now. We’re out here practicing with these guys, and like I said, I have respect for them.”
Contrast that sentiment with Williams' comments from just a week ago, and it becomes clear that someone gave the corner a warning to be on his best behavior.
"They are cheaters. They are."
“You don’t wanna give any team — I don’t care whether it’s the Patriots or it’s the the dang (Cincinnati) Bengals, whoever it is — you don’t want to give them an opportunity to look at your stuff. That’s just me, from a personal standpoint. I don’t want to show none of my cards. “So to me it’s not benefiting us because they’ve already proven who they are, that’s their history. And I don’t like them, not only because of that, but because I just don’t like them. I played them three of four times in a row (in the playoffs).”
“I’m trying not to go into details about it or disrespect that organization because I give that organization nothing but … you still got to go out there and play the game,” Williams said. “All the credit. I give them all the credit in the world. But one fact still remains, they haven’t won a Super Bowl since they got caught.”
Here is the audio of Williams' post practice backpedaling today. For a supposed loudmouth, Cary sure is a "low talker."