The second week of Spring Football is here as the UCF Knights practiced in the Florida rain at their practice facility on Monday.
New defensive coordinator Travis Williams seems to be pleased with the unit’s trajectory upon the second week of preparation.
“It’s been awesome. Being able to get on the field is always good and seeing guys fly around with great energy,” Williams said about the Knights defense. “Just been a blast being able to coach these guys and they come with great energy, great mindset, so that’s a start. It was an awesome first week, now we’re on to week two.”
“The first week was really good, see the second week … everybody around the country is eager for practice that first week, they going to practice, they putting out videos, practice clips here and there, then it’s that second week where we’ll see all around the country who really loves football when their body is tired,” Williams explained.
He said he’s eager to see the development of not just the players, but the energy and coaching over the next few weeks.
Williams preached the importance of having a physical defense that can find the football at the point of attack.
“We have to tackle people, we’ve got to get to the ball with bad intentions,” he said. “If we can get all eleven guys to the ball, even if it’s a bad call, that bad call becomes a good call because of great effort and tackling.”
He said tackling is a key skill needed to shine in this defense and that tackling was a trait instilled in him as a player as well.
“You can’t play defense and not tackle. Now with so many offenses being spread out and different things like that, you have to be able to tackle in space,” Williams said. “We want to be a really great tackling team, we have to get the guy on the ground and stuff like that. That’s just the defensive player in myself.”
Players on the defensive side of the ball appear to be receptive to Williams’ style of coaching, and the new defensive coordinator expressed his satisfaction with the players who quickly adapted to the new culture.
“Most of the time you see guys trying to buy-in. I think these guys have already bought in. You see the things they say and do. You don’t see anybody going against the grain developing the culture the way Coach Malzahn wants it developed,” Williams said. “The guys are bought in. That’s what makes it a lot of fun for us. It makes coming to work fun because the guys are really buying in. They see the vision and where Coach Malzahn is trying to take this deal.”
Williams’ infectious energy has resulted in progress on the field during the first week of practice, as sophomore linebacker Tatum Bethune had high praise for the new defensive coordinator.
“Coach T-Will man, I love his energy. He acts like he’s one of us on the field, he runs with us, does everything with us he’s just a real high energy guy, what he says he really means it, he shows that he really loves football.” Bethune stated about his position coach. “I feel like him showing he loves football is great for the defense — the team really — I love the energy.”
Bethune, who played in all 10 games during the 2020 season under former defensive coordinator year totaling 57 tackles also mentioned the relationships the team has built outside of the locker room with the new coaching staff.
“It’s just fun seeing them out there on campus, going bowling with them, showing them where to get haircuts at, it’s just a great time spending time with them.”
The sophomore linebacker said that when they step off the field and are out of the meeting room, “it’s just straight relationships, fun, family.”
“We don’t think about football, we don’t ask about football,” he said. “We just ask how each other’s families are, and we just take each other in as family and like brothers really.”
When asked about the significance of connecting with his players, Williams believes it is one of the most crucial elements of coaching.
“I think it’s very important. Just for your players to know for them, and your players will know you’re human. I’ve been around so many coaches that they don’t like to be themselves.” Williams said. “I’m very comfortable being Travis Williams, I’m comfortable being myself, I don’t get why coaches put walls up but I like being myself, guess what, I ride on scooters.”
“So, we’re going to ride scooters and go have fun,” Williams said. “We’ll go to the stadium and throw the ball around, that’s just what I do, what we do, we just like to have fun.”
