Sqwirl Williams: Leadership, Excitement, and Frog Legs

Interview Notes:

• The community interest and support mean a lot to Sqwirl as he has dealt with injuries and recovery. He really wants to show the fans what he can do on the field over a full season.
• “I love this game so much man.” He knows he just has to take things day by day and roll with the punches, but being able to battle and improve every day is something he appreciates and doesn’t take for granted.
• Why Baylor? It felt like home. It was the people he met on the campus tour and things outside of the football program that helped lock that in.
• His parents let him make his college decision on his own for the most part and he appreciated that freedom.
• Sqwirl likes the diversity of guys in the RB room and that any of them can take advantage of getting a chance on the field.
• He ran mostly outside zone in high school, so he has improved at getting north and south between the tackles. The wide zone scheme fits him very well with how his skill development has mixed with his experience.
• Iowa State 2020: It was a big deal for him to showcase his talents in that atmosphere, but not being able to finish the game hurt him. He does think that the experience of having to fight back from injury has made him a better player.
• Sqwirl has had nerves playing behind really productive runners with bigger frames, but he trusts that he can do it himself too. He blocks out the noise and stays in his lane.
• JaMycal Hasty and Abram Smith were examples and mentors for Sqwirl as far as work ethic and mentality go.
• At this point, he believes he is the strongest he has ever been, and after the work he puts in today, he will be stronger tomorrow. He feels great about his strength and health heading into this fall.
• He will think Vic Valoria and his workouts are crazy at first, but once he gets into it he knows how they help make him better. In fact, he remembers not being able to work out when injured and he treasures the opportunity to be healthy and improve with crazy workouts.
• Sqwirl is a bit of a foodie. He likes to try new things and remembers when he first tried frog legs.
• He plays video games in his free time, anything from sports games to Call of Duty. He plays with fans and friends too and is looking forward to being on the new NCAA Football game. He wants to be called Sqwirl in the game actually.
• Between Taye and himself, Sqwirl thinks Taye is more of an all-around back who can be very explosive and get more yards after contact. Sqwirl sees himself as a speedy change of pace guy.
• An area where he thinks he was weakest coming into college was pass protection.
• Blake Shapen has been getting guys together for extra work, and he has been on the front foot, leading without nerves. He never lets the moment get to him, and we saw that last year on the field.
• He and coach Aranda have a great relationship. They had a conversation in coach’s first 3 days or so that really showed Sqwirl that Aranda would be a great fit at Baylor.
• Aranda uses a lot of boxing clips with the team to help teach lessons. He has deep boxing cuts, not just Ali and Frazier.
• Sqwirl got his nickname when his grandpa put him in a cage with a bunch of squirrels and challenged him to catch one for $5.
• He is more of a city guy, but wouldn’t rule out a rural/country retirement.
• The excitement for next year is building as the team has been doing events to get the new guys integrated and all bond more. The older guys are trying to make sure the young guys are ready for the busy schedule of fall camp.
• Being the older guy came easily to Sqwirl because he “always prepared like a veteran” after following in JaMycal Hasty’s lead. Now Sqwirl knows he has that extra responsibility to help the younger guys as well.
• The transfer portal has not affected the team’s stability really, and Sqwirl attributes a lot of that to coach Aranda.
• Sqwirl says the locker room is tight. They all have the same goals and the same vision.
• Current Baylor Football 4 x 100 team: Sqwirl, Monaray Baldwin, Tevin Williams, and Josh Fleeks anchoring