It was May 8th, 2014 and the Steelers had just selected Ryan Shazier in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Ohio State star would quickly be placed above Vince Williams on the depth chart, who had just started 11 games for the Steelers in 2013. That didn't sit well with Williams.
Williams came with the pedigree coming from Florida State, but as a sixth round pick it's a struggle just to make the team.
Williams opened up on Twitter tonight and spoke about the self described rivarly with Shazier in the early stages of both their careers.
I was pissed when we drafted Ryan.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
Shit hurt bad
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
But it really ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
That entire offseason I was so mad. I went into a dark place. Training two times six days a weeks. I won't not let myself go from stating to being cut no way.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
Crazy thing is the whole time I'm off in AZ doing this crazy ass Deebo training. Ryan is right next to me this whole time.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
He is just as crazy about being the best that he also listened to Deebo and came out here for the entire spring.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
That never happened. I never could out work him. If I passed out he did too. If I did extra sprints he did too.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
It was incredibly odd to see someone so talented grind it out and work so hard.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
The workload broke us. Instead of being at odds we actually started to support each other just to get through the absurd workouts that we had manufactured.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
You don't go through the that type of anguish for nothing, and after being around each other for so long we became friends.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
He told me how he took being a 1st round pick as a honor. That he was going to change and enhance the culture and that he worked so hard because God gave him this talent and that he was going to use it the be the best ILB to ever play.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
I had never seen motivation like that. See as a low round guy you never worry about being a bust. I never thought about the pressure that come with that.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
That's when I started to shalieve. To see a man blessed with so much talent to still have a crazy work ethic ,and a mind to achieve greatness through his works. I was soled.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
He tells me this outlandish goals that he would have planned for the year. At first I would just laugh, you know that laugh when your 9 year old cuz tell you their going to be the president when they grow up.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
But then he would start laying ground work to do the things he said he would accomplished. Then we get to season and he's actually doing the things you had just talked about and you are doing the things he told you that you were capable of too.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
After that spring we were connected
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
Every injury he had I had too. Just because I knew how much this game means to him.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
That's why know I rock the 50 on my helmet. It just keeps life in perspective for me. I know what he's willin to give. And that why I have to give more.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
Ryan just a special guy. After I had that big game vs KC last year the first person to be hyped for me was Ryan, and I had done that while he was hurt.
— Vince Williams (@VinnyVidiVici98) January 10, 2018
