Trent Williams on Being SILVERBACK, Richard Sherman, Verizon billing disputes
THE TAPE ROOM | EXHIBIT #008
Original Interview: January 14, 2016
Interviewer: Paul Eide | I-80 Sports Blog
There are big guys in the NFL.
There are scary guys in the NFL.
And then there’s Trent Williams, a human road grader who looks like he could move a parked Buick simply because it was inconveniencing him.
When I interviewed Williams on January 14, 2016, he was 27 years old, playing offensive tackle for Washington, and already one of the most intimidating men in professional football.
He had the size. The black visor. The reputation.
And the nickname.
SILVERBACK.
But I wanted to know what made Williams different from the other enormous human beings occupying NFL offensive and defensive lines.
What makes one 300-pound man command the respect of a field full of other 300-pound men?
And, perhaps more importantly, does that intimidation carry over when he’s disputing a Verizon bill?
These were the questions that needed answering.
Welcome to THE TAPE ROOM.
Listen to Paul Eide’s Original 2016 Interview With Trent Williams
This original interview was recorded on January 14, 2016, during Williams’ Washington playing days, in connection with Gillette’s Shield Move promotional campaign.
We discussed the origins of his SILVERBACK nickname, his confrontation with Richard Sherman, what makes a great offensive lineman, and why defensive players get so much attention for doing their jobs once in a while.
We also covered birthday presents, basketball, and whether a grown man should be wearing the jersey of an NFL player 13 years younger than he is.
Because apparently I had access to one of the best offensive tackles on Earth and decided to ask him about Christmas shopping.
Why Is Trent Williams Nicknamed SILVERBACK?
[Listen at 2:40]
I told Williams that even on television, surrounded by 21 other NFL players, he somehow looked like the man in charge.
At 6-foot-5 and more than 300 pounds, his physical presence was impossible to ignore.
But the NFL is full of gigantic men. Size alone doesn’t explain why some players seem to command an entire football field.
So I asked him about SILVERBACK.
Williams explained that the nickname originated in college, when teammates noticed a resemblance between his personality and that of a silverback gorilla.
He was generally laid-back, but capable of suddenly displaying extraordinary strength, athleticism, and aggression.
The name stuck.
And honestly, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate nickname for an offensive tackle.
Imagine lining up across from a man named SILVERBACK.
Now imagine it’s third-and-two.
Enjoy your afternoon.
How Does Trent Williams Earn Respect From Other NFL Players?
[Listen at 3:26]
Here’s where the interview became particularly interesting.
I asked Williams what gave him that unmistakable presence on the field.
Was it simply his size?
His personality?
His reputation?
Williams didn’t point to any of those things.
He talked about leadership and earning respect through work.
He explained that getting other players to follow your lead requires demonstrating something they respect, and that he tried to accomplish that every day through his preparation, effort, and dedication to his craft.
That’s a different kind of intimidation.
You can be the biggest guy in the room.
But being the guy everyone trusts?
That’s something else entirely.
Trent Williams on Greatness: “There’s a Pressure to Be Great”
[Listen at 4:35]
I asked Williams whether he felt pressure to be the biggest, baddest player on the field.
His answer was one of the best moments of the interview.
“There’s a pressure to be great,” he said, explaining that he placed that pressure on himself.
For Williams, respect and prestige were consequences of pursuing greatness, not the primary objectives.
It’s a revealing answer, especially considering when this interview took place.
This wasn’t a retired NFL legend reflecting on his career.
This was a 27-year-old offensive tackle explaining the standards he was setting for himself in real time.
He wasn’t describing what he’d accomplished.
He was describing how he intended to keep getting better.
And that’s precisely why preserving these old interviews matters.
What Did Trent Williams Say About Slapping Richard Sherman?
[Listen at 1:57]
Naturally, I couldn’t interview Trent Williams without bringing up Richard Sherman.
The two had been involved in a highly publicized postgame confrontation following Washington’s playoff loss to Seattle in January 2013, when Williams struck Sherman in the face.
My question was somewhat less diplomatic.
I suggested that Williams had done something millions of Americans had wanted to do: smack Richard Sherman.
Williams didn’t exactly leap at the opportunity to revisit the incident.
He explained that it had happened a long time ago, that he and Sherman had discussed their differences, and that they
Why Does Trent Williams Think Offensive Linemen Are Underappreciated?
[Listen at 5:51]
If you’re interested in how elite offensive tackles actually think about football, this might be the most valuable section of the entire recording.
Williams described offensive line play as one of the most selfless positions in the game.
Offensive linemen don’t usually accumulate glamorous statistics.
They don’t get touchdown celebrations.
And when they execute their assignments perfectly, there’s a decent chance nobody notices.
Defensive linemen, meanwhile, can turn a single sack into a national highlight.
Williams explained the frustration with a terrific example.
An offensive tackle might face the same defender 40 times during a game.
He could win 39 of those encounters.
But if the defender wins once and records a sack?
Guess which play everyone remembers.
Williams also observed that sacks were being celebrated almost like touchdowns.
His point wasn’t that defensive linemen shouldn’t celebrate.
It was that offensive line excellence is measured differently.
The job is to prevent something bad from happening.
When you succeed, the absence of disaster is your reward.
And if you fail once?
Somebody’s dancing.
It’s one of the clearest explanations I’ve heard from an NFL player about why offensive line performance deserves more thoughtful evaluation.
What’s Trent Williams’ Favorite Kind of Block?
[Listen at 4:07]
For all the technical demands of playing offensive tackle, Williams admitted that one particular type of play brought him special satisfaction.
Getting into open space.
Finding a smaller defender.
And delivering the block that helps spring a touchdown.
Blocking defensive linemen is the everyday business of being an offensive tackle.
But getting out in front of a play and tracking down a defensive back?
That’s where things get entertaining.
For Williams.
Not necessarily for the defensive back.
Did Trent Williams Ever Doubt His Physical Ability?
[Listen at 5:34]
I asked Williams whether he still experienced any physical self-doubt.
His answer was immediate.
No.
He explained that he had never really doubted his physical ability. For him, the challenge was mastering the mental side of football.
Once he understood the game at that level, he believed the physical part would follow.
That’s an extraordinary level of confidence.
But it also reveals something important about how Williams viewed his development.
The physical gifts were already there.
The challenge was learning how to use them.
What Did Trent Williams Think About Being an NFL Role Model at Age 27?
[Listen at 7:36]
One of the more revealing moments came when I asked Williams whether it felt strange to be idolized.
He was only 27.
He still felt relatively new to the NFL.
And yet younger players were already studying his game, while even some of his NFL peers looked up to him.
Williams described that recognition as humbling.
It’s an interesting snapshot of an athlete who had already achieved elite status but hadn’t fully adjusted to being someone else’s football hero.
Of course, I immediately followed this thoughtful conversation with a question about whether a 35-year-old man should wear a 22-year-old player’s jersey.
My commitment to maintaining a dignified interview environment remains unmatched.
Does Trent Williams Act Like SILVERBACK Off the Football Field?
[Listen at 8:58]
This was important.
I needed to know whether the same man who terrorized NFL defenders also brought that energy to everyday inconveniences.
For example:
What happens when Trent Williams calls Verizon about a billing discrepancy?
Does he intimidate the customer-service representative?
What about scheduling a dentist appointment?
Does SILVERBACK emerge when somebody tells him the earliest available opening is three weeks from Thursday?
Apparently not.
Williams said he was extremely calm away from football and preferred to save his intensity for the field.
So there you have it.
One of the most intimidating offensive tackles in professional football was apparently more emotionally composed during routine customer-service interactions than I am.
Who Is The ONE NBA Player Trent Williams KNOWS He Could Beat at Basketball?
[Listen at 10:23]
Williams can dunk a basketball, which is a fairly remarkable thing for a man of his size.
So I asked him to name one current or former NBA player he was absolutely certain he could outperform.
He eventually settled on former NBA center Shawn Bradley.
Would Williams dunk on him?
He wasn’t willing to promise that.
But he did say he could give Bradley buckets.
And now I have a mental image of Trent Williams calling for an isolation play against a 7-foot-6 NBA center.
I don’t know who wins.
I do know I’d buy a ticket.
Trent Williams Wishes My Daughter Fiona a Happy Eighth Birthday
[Listen at 0:14]
Before getting into the football questions, I had one personal favor to ask.
My daughter Fiona was turning eight that weekend.
So naturally, I asked Trent Williams to wish her a happy birthday.
And he did.
No elaborate setup. No hesitation. Just a professional football player taking a moment to make a little girl’s birthday special.
It’s one of those little pieces of an interview that might not seem particularly important when you’re recording it.
But ten years later?
I’m awfully glad it’s still on the tape.
That’s the thing about archives.
Sometimes the moments worth preserving aren’t the ones you originally expected.
Is It Weird for Older NFL Fans to Wear a Younger Player’s Jersey?
[Listen at 8:12]
I had a very serious football etiquette question for Trent Williams.
A buddy of mine, 35 years old and a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan, wanted to buy a Marcus Peters jersey.
The problem?
Marcus Peters was 22.
I told my buddy that a grown man had no business wearing the jersey of someone 13 years younger than him. Get yourself a Joe Montana jersey. Show some respect for your elders.
So I asked Williams what he thought about older guys wearing the jerseys of younger NFL players.
Unfortunately, SILVERBACK did not support my position.
Williams explained that he appreciated the support regardless of whether the fan was older or younger than the player.
“No matter your age, you can still be a fan of a great player.”
A perfectly reasonable, mature, and thoughtful response.
Naturally, I informed Williams that I was going to tell my buddy the exact opposite.
That Trent Williams personally considered his jersey purchase shameful.
Because sometimes being a journalist means knowing when to completely disregard your source.
THE TAPE ROOM — EXHIBIT #008: Trent Williams
Interview subject: Trent Williams
Interviewer: Paul Eide
Original recording date: January 14, 2016
Team at time of interview: Washington
Original interview context: Gillette Shield Move campaign
Format: Original audio interview, subsequently published as archival video
Archive: I-80 Sports Blog — THE TAPE ROOM
This interview captures Williams at a particular moment in his career, when he was already an established NFL star but still speaking about the work, pressure, and discipline required to reach his own definition of greatness.
There’s no hindsight in his answers.
No career retrospective.
Just Trent Williams, age 27, explaining what it meant to be SILVERBACK.
And patiently answering my questions about Verizon, Christmas gifts, and Shawn Bradley.
THE TAPE ROOM. THE TAPES ARE THE EVIDENCE.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trent Williams
Why is Trent Williams called Silverback?
Williams explained in his January 14, 2016 interview with Paul Eide that the nickname originated in college. Teammates associated his laid-back personality, physical strength, and explosive athletic ability with a silverback gorilla.
When did Paul Eide interview Trent Williams?
Paul Eide interviewed Trent Williams on January 14, 2016, during Williams’ Washington playing career. The original recording is preserved as Exhibit #008 in the I-80 Sports Blog’s THE TAPE ROOM archive.
What did Trent Williams say about Richard Sherman?
In the interview, Williams discussed his earlier confrontation with Richard Sherman. He said the two had talked through their differences, were on good terms, and that he no longer spent much time reflecting on the incident.
What does Trent Williams think makes a great offensive lineman?
Williams emphasized selflessness, preparation, consistency, and earning teammates’ respect. He also explained that offensive linemen can win nearly every matchup in a game but receive attention primarily when they surrender a sack.
What did Trent Williams say about the pressure to be great?
Williams said he applied that pressure to himself. He viewed the pursuit of greatness as something that naturally earned respect and recognition from other players.
Did Trent Williams say he could beat Shawn Bradley at basketball?
Williams jokingly identified former NBA center Shawn Bradley as a player he believed he could score against. He didn’t guarantee a posterizing dunk, but he was confident he could get buckets.
Was Trent Williams intimidating away from football?
According to Williams, no. He described himself as “stoic,” calm, and difficult to provoke away from the field, explaining that he preferred to reserve his intensity for football.
