ALLEN PARK -- On the night before their season opener against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions players Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Craig Reynolds were “chilling” in a hotel room, fellowshipping.
Then around 10 p.m., news broke that garnered the attention of all three players regarding teammate Jameson Williams.
“They just extended Jamo,” Gibbs said aloud.
“Huh?” St. Brown replied.
“Yeah, they just paid him,” Gibbs followed up.
Caught off guard, St. Brown immediately facetimed Williams, who soon joined them in the room to celebrate. The fourth-year receiver had just signed a three-year, $83 million extension -- with $67 million guaranteed -- to remain with the Lions.
“I’m just happy to be playing with him for however many years it is,” St. Brown told reporters Thursday. “People see what they see in the media, but I see him every day. I know what kind of guy he is. He’ll do whatever it takes to win.
“As a teammate, you don’t want anything else. I love Jamo, man. I love going out there to work with him every day, and I’m just excited he’s going to be here much longer.”
When asked to clarify his stance on the perception of Williams, St. Brown pointed to the difference between headlines and personal experience.
“It’s just hard to tell what kind of guy Jamo is from your phone, from your screen,” he explained. “When you talk to him, you get to know him -- his background, his family, everything, it’s much deeper than it looks. I love being out there with him and seeing how much he loves football. He shows it every day on the field. To play with him, it’s amazing.”
While St. Brown expressed his happiness, no one was more appreciative than Williams himself. Shortly after the Lions’ 27-13 loss to the Packers, he expressed gratitude for finalizing the deal, allowing him to shift his focus to football.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Williams doubled down on his thanks to the Ford Family and stressed what the extension meant to him.
“It was important. I found a home here,” Williams said. “I feel very comfortable with the staff and my brothers I play with and go to war with every week. That was the main thing -- my brothers were on my mind. Going to war with them, I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else. The way we practice and go hard with each other year-round, that was the main thing.”
Williams said the Lions first approached him about a deal two weeks ago, and things came together quickly after that.
Because the Lions finalized Williams’ extension on the eve of the season opener, he didn’t have time to process it or celebrate fully. He plans to do that in the coming days, combining it with his brother’s birthday this weekend, when much of his family will be in town for Sunday’s home opener against the Chicago Bears.
With a new influx of cash, Williams said he doesn’t have any big purchases planned.
“I just want to get my family straight. That’s my main thing -- taking care of everybody who’s been good to me.”
Williams added that the money itself isn’t what drives him, which he framed with perspective on where he’s come from.
“I wouldn’t say that because money doesn’t motivate me. Where I come from motivates me -- who I grew up with, where I grew up, and how I found a way to make it out,” Williams said. “That motivates me a lot. The money comes and goes. People look at it like it’s such a big thing, but if you do the right thing, it’ll come.
“What motivates me is the name on the back of my jersey, my family and friends, and where we come from and how we used to live.”
Last season, Williams appeared to find his footing in Detroit’s offense, finishing with a career-high 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. With contract talks behind him, he can now turn his attention to the Bears and the season ahead.
One thing Williams emphasized Thursday was his love for Detroit and the fans who support him.
“I enjoy the culture of Detroit. When I came here, things were on the downside -- losing games, not winning. It’s been going uphill ever since I got here,” Williams said. “The culture hasn’t really changed -- it’s always been there. The games have always been packed out since we were 1-5 in my rookie year and turned it around. The games have been selling out.
“Around the city, fans approach you, asking for pictures, autographs. I’ve never had a bad interaction. I never say no to a picture or a signature. I love the city and the culture. It’s not much different from home -- lots of similarities. I just feel comfortable.
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