‘It’s Just Focusing On James’: How James Williams Has Mentally Prepared Himself for Important Junior Season

Expectations are high for Miami safety James Williams, who is entering his junior year. Pro Football Focus has him ranked fourth nationally among all returning safeties, and he’s projected as a potential Day 1 or 2 selection in some 2024 NFL Mock Drafts.

To prepare himself for this important season, Williams has worked diligently to improve his collectedness and ability to withstand adversity. He noted that this has been an area of growth throughout his time in college.

“Last year, I kind of had a lot of mental breakdowns throughout the season, so this year I’ve kind of been mainly focusing on my mental game and focusing on me and staying composed through the hard times when things get rough and staying focused on what Mario Cristobal has in front of us,” Williams told LifeWallet Sports.

Williams has made these internal strides through action and self-reflection. His objective isn’t to reach a state of unshaken positivity, but rather the levelheadedness to overcome the many obstacles that he will face.

“I started reading more books about mental health. I started analyzing myself – when things get hard, what do I do? I started picking little things, going on walks, understanding me – like what makes me happy, what makes me mad, how can I avoid from getting mad, how can I not stay so positive that negative comes,” Williams said. “I’m just mainly trying to stay neutral, really it’s just focusing on James.”

Williams has already noticed this inner development translate onto the football field.

“I see it cause my body feels [better] and in a state that I’m ready to perform at the level I should be performing at,” Williams said.

Another area of growth, according to Williams, has been as a leader. He’s one of just a few returning defenders that have started over a season’s worth of games for the Hurricanes.

Williams, along with veteran teammates Kamren Kinchens and Brian Balom, leads a safety room that is made up of many first and second-year players.

“I see myself growing more as a leader because the team looks at me more,” Williams said. “I’m a shoulder to lean on. More guys look up to me in workouts … Gotta grab the kids, grab my young guys and get more extra film in, so it’s been a big role, big task but nothing’s too big for me. I understand that, and I’m ready for whatever.”

Miami’s defense often unraveled throughout its tumultuous 2022 season. If Williams – as a cornerstone of the unit – can lead others this year with his mature mindset, the defense as a whole should be much more disciplined as a result.

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