History will note that the fourth pick of last night’s draft was Trent “Silverback” Williams.
The moment was a surprise since we can’t remember a nickname ever coming out of Commissioner Roger Goodell’s lips, much less one already accounted for.
Trent Williams explained how the announcement came about to Rick Maese of the Washington Post. (Thanks to Brian McCarthy for the heads up.)
The nickname was given to Williams by his teammates in college because Williams is a “beast” on the field. Williams mentioned it to Goodell the other day.
“We had a meeting with him in the office and I was just joking around with him. It was kind of quiet and I just wanted to throw a little joke in. He asked me, did I want him to do it? I said, ‘Go ahead.’ I really didn’t think he would.”
We liked it. There’s no reason why the reading of picks should be a solemn occasion.
Pete Rozelle, always cracking up at the reaction of Jets and Giants fans, knew that well.