A week after backing Jameson Williams following one incident, Dan Campbell gave him a vote of confidence in the wake of another.
Per a report Tuesday from WXYZ, Williams avoided arrest earlier this month after he and his brother were pulled over in Detroit with two guns in the car and Williams lacked a Concealed Pistol License for his registered weapon that was beneath his seat. The Detroit Police Department has opened an internal investigation as to why Williams was let go.
"I’ve known about all of this," Campbell said Wednesday, "I know we put out a statement. The kid has been truthful with us, and we’re good.”
The news comes a week after Williams accepted a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.
"It certainly doesn’t look good, I get that," Campbell said. "But by the same token, it just kind of 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 going to 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.”
Williams immediately alerted the Lions of what happened when he and his brother were pulled over by police -- Williams' brother was speeding -- just after midnight on Oct. 8 east of downtown. Campbell said that Williams' version of events "lined up" with what was reported on Tuesday.
"Look, for me, I judge people over what’s in their heart, and I know what this kid’s made of and he’s worth hanging with," Campbell said.
Williams, 23, also served a four-game suspension at the start of last season for violating the NFL's gambling policy. His transgressions have been mostly innocent mistakes, a product of Williams not being fully aware of the rules by which he's governed.
"You just continue to coach him up on it, teach him and let him know," said Campbell. "It’s a different environment (playing in the NFL) and you have to understand that you’re looked at different and viewed different. Anybody else out there, if something happens, nobody even knows about it, whereas any little thing can turn into a huge thing here. You just have to do your best to stay out of those situations where something like this doesn’t come up.”
The 12th overall pick in 2022, Williams was enjoying a breakout season prior to his latest suspension, ranking second on the Lions in receiving yards and second in the NFL in yards per catch. He's a key cog in the league's top-ranked scoring offense, though the Lions didn't miss him last week when they hung 52 points on the Titans.
Asked if Williams' off-field issues are becoming a distraction for the team, Campbell acknowledged that "you’d rather not be dealing with it and you don’t want the players to have to deal with it," but said it's mostly a "non-issue."
"We didn’t have him last week, we’re prepared to not have him this week and that’s just kind of how we roll," Campbell said. "Really no different than a guy who’s injured. We’re about the guys who are going to play and getting them ready to go, and we don’t bat an eye. So, no, I’d rather not answer (questions about him), but I don’t feel like this is a big distraction.”