There have been Instagram stories and tweets. Photos and videos. Expressed excitement about both his new team and new adopted home city.
And the teammate he’ll arguably be closest to with the Pittsburgh Steelers said every bit of enthusiasm shown by Avery William is authentic.
“He’s 100% genuine with that excitement,” fellow inside linebacker Robert Spillane said of Williamson, whom the Steelers acquired via a trade with the New York Jets earlier this week. “He is coming from an 0-8 team — not of his own doing, just from the circumstances he was in. Now, he finds out he’s on a 7-0 football team. So that would be exciting, as he should be, and I’m excited for him as well.”
Williamson has spent the week in relative isolation and undergoing coronavirus tests, per NFL protocol, before he can join the Steelers for in-person work. But he has been taking part in video conference meetings and of course has access to the playbook.
It is unclear if Williamson will be able to play Sunday when the Steelers play at the Dallas Cowboys. It also remains to be seen exactly how the Steelers will structure their division of labor at inside linebacker going forward to make up for the season-ending knee injury to Devin Bush. Spillane has gotten the bulk of the work next to Vince Williams, and with Ulysees Gilbert on injured reserve now, too, the lone other inside linebacker listed on the roster is Marcus Allen, who was a safety his entire pro and college career until August.
Spillane said he’s eager to share knowledge with the man who might take his job. Williamson is a seven-year NFL veteran of 86 games and 543 tackles.
“I’ve only heard good things about him,” Spillane said, “and I was excited to get to work with him, to get to work with another professional that’s proved that he’s a career linebacker in this league and to learn from him and maybe help me with the defense. So, it’s exciting for everyone.
“We knew we were going to have to bring in somebody, so it’s good to have a high-end player added to our defense”.
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