GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers defensive back Tramon Williams isn't offended by the suggestion that the Seattle Seahawks will try to go after him this afternoon.
If he were Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, he'd do the same thing.
"We've got Charles (Woodson) and we've got Al (Harris), two of the top cornerbacks in the league," Williams said this week. "I'm expecting them to come at me the whole game."
Williams, 24, a first-year player out of Louisiana Tech, will be the Packers' nickel back if Will Blackmon is unable to overcome a foot injury and play in the NFC divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field.
Williams also is preparing to return punts.
Williams played in all 16 regular-season games and made his first start in the finale against Detroit when the Packers opened in their nickel defense. But he hasn't been tested quite the way he will be Saturday, in the rarefied air of the playoffs.
"You definitely have to tell yourself it's another game," he said. "When you get to the game you may feel a little different. But when the game starts, it's just another game. That's basically what you've got to tell yourself.
"I want to go out there and have poise, not try to do too much or think I need to show the fans what I can do. I just want to go out there and just play a great, solid game."
On the small side at 5 feet 11 inches and 182 pounds, Williams was not drafted coming out of Tech in 2006. The Packers signed him to their practice squad after he was released by Houston.
This year, he earned a spot on the roster with a solid exhibition season and has contributed mainly on special teams. He has returned a team-high 30 kickoffs for a 22.8-yard average. Against Carolina on Nov. 18, he returned a punt 94 yards for his first career touchdown.
But Williams has seen extensive action as a defensive back in only a couple of games. When the Seahawks use multiple-receiver formations, he could be a target because of his inexperience.
"They may catch a couple passes on me but I'm definitely going to make a couple plays," he said. "That's the way I feel about the situation. I'm not one to take negative and fold. I have a lot of confidence in myself."
Packers receiver Ruvell Martin, who goes up against Williams every day in practice, said the defensive back had made steady improvement this season.
"He's a good player," Martin said. "He's got pretty good strength for a smaller corner. He can definitely muscle up guys. He's good at anticipating and being in the right position. He does a good job breaking on balls and getting his hands in the air and disrupting stuff."
After Williams had four tackles and his first career interception Dec. 30 against the Lions, McCarthy praised him as an example of a young player who had grown into his role and taken advantage of opportunities.
"I can't say enough about him," McCarthy said. "I think he's a perfect example of what you want to accomplish with your young players. . . . Every opportunity he gets, he continues to improve."
Will that hold true in the post-season, when the stakes go up and every mistake is magnified? Safety Atari Bigby said he wasn't concerned Williams would freeze under the glare of the playoff spotlight.
"I feel great about Tramon," Bigby said. "I feel very comfortable with him."
Source: Associated Press
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