Ryan Williams reveals insights from offseason work with former Alabama star: "Really embraces you"

Alabama Crimson Tide alum and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith wants the best for the program and he is helping them by working out in the offseason with sophomore receiver Ryan Williams.

To Williams' account, he had an incredible experience spending time on the field with someone coming off a Super Bowl glory and a two-time national champion.

Sharing his experience with ESPN’s College GameDay podcast, Williams said:

“Just learning from a guy that’s really defied a lot of odds,” Williams said. “He’s an amazing football player, but he’s an even better person, I would say. He really embraces you. We were working out and he, I wouldn’t say he doesn’t like working out with other people, but he likes working out with certain people.

"Just for him to accept me and us being able to bounce ideas off each other and really get after it, those couple days, it was super fun. I learned a lot. I’ve been applying it since I’ve been from there. I am just super excited for this season.”

Williams got to know what it takes to crack the professional football first hand by training with Smith, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Eagles in April 2024, worth $75 million. Despite not having a great size, what Smith does on the field has left an impression on Williams, who added:

“You can see his body movements. If you just look at him, he’s not the biggest guy. The way he’s able to control his body is truly remarkable. I learned a lot about the little details of how I can do that for myself and just take my game to the next level."

What Ryan Williams learned as a receiver from DeVonta Smith?

During the same segment, Ryan Williams also shared the techniques he grasped while working out with DeVonta Smith. Williams said:

"Making everything look vertical. The way he sinks his hips, I learned a lot. We really talked about that. You don’t want to come off the ball already low. That’s not how you play football. And you don’t want to come high. When you sink your hips, the defender, a good defender, just being able to find that sweet spot."

It seems Williams is convinced that what worked for Smith might also work for him due to their similar play style. He advocated for bringing consistency in one's game to get continued success despite the challenges.