Detroit Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams has already made a statement before training camp even got rolling, and it had nothing to do with a sack or a tackle for loss.
Williams drew attention this offseason when he posted on social media that he had dropped 50 pounds. That immediately sparked some concern among supporters, with questions swirling about whether he had gone under 300 pounds and might be too light for life on the interior of the defensive line.
Those worries have been put to rest. Williams reported to training camp at 325 pounds and passed the conditioning test.
Before Thursday’s training camp practice, Dan Campbell made it clear he was impressed with how Williams handled the offseason.
"Really proud of him, he’s a man of his word," said Campbell. "Before we drafted him, Brad and I sat up there saying, ‘Is there gonna be an issue with your weight ever?’
He said no. He came in, he noticed that he was a little bit heavy in the spring.
He came in two weeks before our program even started and was pretty heavy, and said, ‘Hey man, I want to get this right.’ He put in the work.
"Scott (Nealon) did a helluva job with him, nutritionists, all that got him right. He just put the work in.
I tell you what, man, he’s a man of his word," Campbell commented further. "Came in, 325, made his weight, crushed the conditioning test.
Like I told him, told the team, now he’s put some money in the bank of trust. It’s awesome.
I’m really fired up, man, that’s a credit to him.”
Detroit is counting on its defensive line, with Alim McNeill also part of the group expected to help stop the run and create pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
For Williams, the summer work matters because his rookie year was uneven. His snap counts even dipped a bit as veteran Roy Lopez started earning more trust from the coaching staff.
Now heading into his second season, the former Ohio State Buckeyes defender is focused on doing whatever it takes to stay on the field and deliver on the potential that brought him to Detroit in the first place.
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