Jamaal Williams is more than happy to sign autographs, but he has a priority ... literally anyone who brings anime gear, they get first dibs.
It's an odd quirk, but it's one that the new Saints running back believes in deeply. It's a sign of respect and understanding that you see him as a person, not just a football player. And since he put out the call for anime gear on social media, it's been easy to see all around the crowd as the team continues training camp.
"Whatever you think you know about NFL players or you think you know what we are, you don’t know me, because I’m not that," Williams said, wearing a gray Pikachu hat that a fan had gifted him. "I’m literally just a nerd. I literally play football, I’m good at football, but yet I know what I like, and that’s anime. That’s my social life. That’s my off the field thing."
It's not exactly a new revelation, but it is something that has confused fans in attendance that get bypassed for a signature for a kid carrying a Naruto Funko Pop figurine (yes, that's a real thing). Sometimes the gear gets brought out to be signed, but Williams is also open to trades. Much like his hat, he's also got a fanny pack and other gear.
In trade he's willing to give away just about anything, including the cleats off his feet. That's what happened over the weekend, with Williams then having to dance around in socks a bit to survive the burning asphalt
But one thing he makes sure with the gear he collects is to get it signed by whomever brought it before he adds it to his game room at home. He said that gear is the "aesthetics" of his home, on the floor, on the counter, in the windows. It's a "connection" that will last forever, he said.
“I’ve got to get to the people who respect me as a person," he continued, "who don’t just see me as a football player, they see me as a person, Jamaal Williams, and as Jamaal Williams the football player. Once you respect me as a real person, not just what I do, then I have a different type of connection with you, then you become my first priority.”
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