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Leonard Williams: "This Is The Closest Team I've Ever Been On" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:07
  Speaker 1: I mean to mean so much. I think one of
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the only guys on the team that really knows the
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: journey I've been on is Julian, and like we both
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: embraced each other after the game and just talked about
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: our path, and I've just been so thankful to be
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: here and so thankful for the season, and just the
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: way everything's been playing out is just really incredible. Uh,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: to be having this type of season towards the end
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: of my career. What did you guys say? I mean,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: there's not much thinking, honestly though. That's what I love
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  Speaker 1: about this team so much, is like we're just next
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: play mentality. I think, regardless of when we take the field,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: whether it's a turnover, whether they're on the one, or
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  Speaker 1: whatever the case may be, I think we have the
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  Speaker 1: right guys and the right mentality to go out there
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: and and we call that des zone football, and I
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: feel like that's where we choose to thrive in those
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: in those areas, I don't think so. I mean, I
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: don't put doubt in any of this team on all
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: three levels. Honestly. We keep finding ways to win, and
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  Speaker 1: it's you know, sometimes it's offense finding the way. Sometimes
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: a special teams. Sometimes it's defense, and I think our
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: defense has been playing lights out all season, and you know,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: they have a great offense. But I think we did
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: a good job today. Yeah, I mean, I think being
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: you know, every team preaches it, especially in the beginning
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: of the season, that you want to be good in
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  Speaker 1: all three phases of football, and you know, now being
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: on a team that has that, I can really see
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: the impact that has in games. There's times where you know,
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: one side of the ball is is maybe lacking in
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: certain areas and we're just not getting the job done
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: and we can always kind on another side of the
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  Speaker 1: of the ball to to pick it up. And this
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: team is a special Yeah, I mean he's been playing
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: locks out too. Like you said, there's been a lot
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: of guys stepping up in critical moments, guys that have
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: been stepping up when guys are injured and things like that,
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: and every time it's happened, they've done a great job
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  Speaker 1: in in that in that spot. And uh, it's just
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  Speaker 1: kept proving more and more confidence in those guys when
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  Speaker 1: they're out there. And you know, the one thing I've
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: seen about Drac is since I've been here, Uh, he
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  Speaker 1: works the same, you know, regardless of if he was
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  Speaker 1: gonna be starting or not. And it's cool to see
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: his uh chances and opportunities come. I mean, we we
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: all joke about how shadow boxing is like kind of
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: brought us together as a team. Uh. You see some
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: guys that will probably never speak to each other cause
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: we're not in the same position group, We're not on
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  Speaker 1: the same side of the ball, and sometimes it's kind
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: of easy to be divided that way. Uh, not intentionally,
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: but it's just the way we we work in the
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: in the building, it's like we're not really around each other,
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  Speaker 1: but in the locker room, you seeing guys that you
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: wouldn't normally think we'll talk to each other are all
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: hanging out because of shadow boxing. It's pretty funny. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: like I just said about this team taking it one
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  Speaker 1: player at a time, that's what we've been doing since
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: Ota is taking it one day at a time. And uh,
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  Speaker 1: you know, I think we always want to have that
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  Speaker 1: end goal in mind, but I think what is allowing
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  Speaker 1: us to win in these opportunities is just taking it
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: day by day. You guys have been successful maybe a
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: little more understated. Yeah, I mean we all have respect
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: for the Legion of Boom. Obviously they had great players,
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: great defense, you know, one championships and things like that. Uh,
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: but I feel like, you know, we obviously deserve some
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  Speaker 1: recognition at this point. We call ourselves the Dark Side
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  Speaker 1: on defense, and uh, you know, we want to get
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: that out there as well. And I feel like we've
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  Speaker 1: been living up to what we say. What's up you guys? Yeah,
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: I think our connection in general is what makes our
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: team so special. Like in these moments, you know, in
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  Speaker 1: big games and critical moments, you know that doubt leaves
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: the room because we know each other so well. I
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  Speaker 1: think there's times where I've been on great teams and
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: great players and Pro Bowlers and All pros and all
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: that type of thing. I think every team in the
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  Speaker 1: league at this point has those caliber players. But uh,
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  Speaker 1: I think the ones that play together, that gel together,
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  Speaker 1: that you know, mix well, those are the teams that
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: you know, win in critical situations. Who oh d 'all Yeah,
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: I mean it was awesome. I mean he was down
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: last week. We all missed him. Uh. Some people were
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: wearing his jersey and stuff with that in honor of them.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: But you know, to have that guy back, he's a
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: he's a forest. I mean, he's a he played he
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: plays like a hammer, and we always call him like
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: the battering ram of the defense, and uh, you know
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: he did that today. I mean, it's incredible. I don't
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: I don't want today to end. Honestly, I was hanging
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: out in that locker room for a long time. That's
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: probably why I'm the last one here right now. But
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: it's incredible. I mean, I've been playing for a really
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: long time. Uh, this is the closest team I've ever
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: been on, the most winning season I've ever been on.
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: And you know, overall, the job's not done. And that's
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: another thing I love about this team so much. It's
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  Speaker 1: like people are celebrating, but in the middle of the celebrations,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: you're hearing people say, you know, we got more work
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: to do. We got to move on to the next one.
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  Speaker 1: And I think not having that complacency is is really special,
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: you see. I mean, he's an incredible coach. Honestly, I
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  Speaker 1: think there was obviously some grown pains coming from one
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  Speaker 1: coach to another, especially coach that's been here for so long.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: Coach Mike has some different ways about him that I
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: think it took some adjusting for certain players that have
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: been here for a long time to get used to,
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  Speaker 1: but overall once so we got past those small growing pains.
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  Speaker 1: I think people are just like all bought in on
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  Speaker 1: what he says. We believe in him, we trust him.
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  Speaker 1: He always puts us in the right positions as a team,
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  Speaker 1: as a player, and he's been getting the job done.
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  Speaker 1: I'm proud of him too. I don't know where it
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: was coming from, but the Victor cigars were pretty awesome.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: I couldn't really breathe them there at one point, but
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  Speaker 1: it didn't really matter. Like my excitement and joy was
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: kind of taking over the smoke in my eyes and
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: not being able to breathe. But it was just beautiful
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  Speaker 1: to see my team celebrating and seeing just everyone happy
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: from all the hard work we've been putting in. Yeah that,
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: thank you, Leo, Thank youse. You can hear the music stop,
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: so we must go home.