UCF football star Jayden Williams was so focused on praising God in the post-game press conference that he forgot the original question.
“Well, first and foremost, guys, I just want to give all praise and glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Man, He knows where I was, where I was at when I got injured, and He really helped me a lot,” Williams said in the post-game press conference.
UCF played Bethune-Cookman on Saturday night and won 73-6; Williams had a 47-yard pick-six.
“But to answer your question, um, actually, could you repeat the question?” Williams added with a chuckle.
As the safety enters his last year of college football, he’s focused on giving everything he has. Last year, he only played in three games due to a hand injury.
Related: UCF Placekicker Praises God After Game-Winning Field Goal
“I’m just trying to enjoy every moment, to be honest,” Williams told UCF media. “What’s my goals for this year? To attack every day as its own, continue to get better each day, be a leader every day, and focus on each day. Like, not really try to think about the future.”
He did think about the future last year, and that took his focus away from the present.
“It kind of let me down. So, I’m just trying to attack every day with my guys, and trying to see how I can get better every single day,” he said.
“I’m just blessed. Blessed, man. Blessed to be here again. Attack it with the same mentality. I attack everything just hard, fast and physical,” he added later on. “Coach Grinch, Coach Frost, they all preach for us to not dumb down to practice. I attack everything the same. So, it’s not really a difference, but my mentality is a little hungrier cause I kind of got my last year taken from me. So, I’m just back for it all. Coming for it all.”
That combination of gratitude and hunger showed up on the field Saturday. Williams’ 47-yard pick-six was more than just a highlight; it was a glimpse of a player who spent a year sidelined finally getting to play the way he always wanted to. For a safety who admitted he let the future creep into his head last season, staying locked into the moment seems to be paying off early.
UCF faces off against Pittsburgh this Saturday at 3:30 p.m., where Williams and the rest of his team look to keep the momentum rolling.
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