Without a doubt, Gregg Williams is the best fit for the Redskins.
Williams has been running his defense like a head coach would run a team since he arrived in D.C. When you had an issue with something or someone on the team, you went to Williams. When you wanted to know what the appropriate dress code was for road trips, you asked Williams, and when you busted a coverage, or missed a tackle, you most definitely went to Williams.
I felt as if I played for two head coaches in Washington. I respected Coach Joe Gibbs, but I thought higher of Coach Williams. Maybe I was impressed with the way he ran the team defensive meeting or his talks the night before games, but I wanted to impress the man. He speaks with emotion when he talks to the defense, you believe him. More than any coach I have played for in this league, Williams was the guy I wanted to play for. He is a players’ coach, but he rules with an iron fist, equaling the perfect combination for winning. He demands your best in meetings, practices and on Sundays. He demands you be a professional.
Yes, there is time for fun, but when it comes down to business, it is about winning with Williams. By far, he is the most prepared coach I have ever seen. Scouting reports become manuals for winning, and film study a way of life. I thought I had pro football all figured out, but after two seasons with Williams, I became the student of the game I wanted to be.
However, what goes beyond saying, he prepares men for the rest of their lives. The toughness, the ability to deal with adversity in real life situations, is a trait I owe to playing for Williams. He is a master of putting players in the toughest situations, under the toughest circumstances, to challenge them, not only as players, but also as men. Practice is a beast, making Sundays a walk in the park. It is the long days, the constructive criticism in the heat, that prepare us for Sundays, and the days, and years that follow.
Williams is the right choice for this franchise. You don’t need a big-name guy when you already have one down the hall.
Former Redskins safety Matt Bowen, a seven-year NFL veteran, contributes a weekly column to The Examiner during the NFL season.
