Dan Campbell backs Lions' Jameson Williams once again after latest incident
Published in Football
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Lions head coach Dan Campbell knew about the gun-related allegations against Jameson Williams last week when he issued a vote of confidence for the third-year receiver following his violation of the NFL's Performance Enhancing Substances policy.
Williams, 23, is possibly facing even more trouble, as it was reported Tuesday night that he was briefly detained by Detroit police for a gun-related incident on Oct. 8.
For the second week in a row, Campbell's Wednesday press conference was inundated with questions about Williams' character and why the team believes he can get back on a straight path. Last week, Williams accepted his second suspension in as many years; he was previously suspended four games to begin the 2023 season for violating the league's gambling policy.
"I've known about all of this, so, I know we put out a statement. He's been truthful with us and we're good," Campbell said Wednesday. "I know that it certainly doesn't look good. I get that. But at the same token, it's just all came on here at the same time, and it's really decision-making for him. That's where — he knows he can be better. Don't put yourself in those situations. He's gonna learn from this, grow from it, we've talked about it, and I still think there's been a ton of growth out of this player."
According to WXYZ-TV, Williams was riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by his brother on Oct. 8 when Detroit police pulled the car over for speeding. Williams' brother immediately disclosed to officers that there were two weapons in the car, one registered to each brother, the report said. Williams' brother has a concealed pistol license (CPL), but Williams does not and was briefly placed in handcuffs before later being released without citation.
Now, the Detroit Police Department is investigating the incident — particularly why Williams was released — and has submitted a warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor's office.
"I judge people over what's in their heart and I know what this kid is made of," Campbell said, when asked why he continues to have confidence in Williams.
"He's worth hanging with. He's gonna learn from this, he's gonna grow, he'll get better from all this."
Campbell added that Williams is aware of how quickly his career can end if these incidents continue to pile up. Including his two suspensions, Williams has routinely tripped up over the technicality of the rules. His violation of the league's gambling policy was a result of placing a bet in a disallowed location. According to his statement following the PES suspension, Williams said he was not aware that he took anything that could have violated the policy.
The latest gun-related incident could have been easily prevented by Williams obtaining his CPL.
Campbell, who said that all of the facts delivered by Williams "lined up" with the reality of the situation, said Williams needs to continue improving on paying attention to details.
"You just continue to coach him up on it, teach him, and let him know this is a different environment," Campbell said. "You've gotta understand that. You're looked at different and you're viewed different. Anybody else, something happens, nobody even knows about it, whereas, man, they're looking (at you) and any little thing can turn into a huge thing here. You just got to do your best to stay out of those situations where something like this doesn't come up."
From a team standpoint, Campbell said Williams' pending situation is a "nonissue" as it pertains to preparing for Sunday's pivotal division game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Williams will be serving the last game of his two-game suspension this weekend. He missed last weekend's 52-14 win against the Tennessee Titans at Ford Field.
"We also didn't have him last week, we're prepared not to have him this week, and that's just kind of how we roll. It's really no different than, unfortunately, a guy who's injured. He's not going to play, he's going to be out, and man, we're about the guys who are going to play and getting them ready to go and we don't bat an eye," Campbell said.
"How are those guys going to help us win the next game? I do feel like that's where we're at as a team, so I'm not — I'd rather not answer them, but at the same token, I don't feel like this is a big distraction."
Williams, the No. 12 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was in the midst of a career year when he hit an initial bump in the road last week. Over six games, he's caught 17 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns.
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