Jamaal Williams’ SNF intro and post-game interviews prove you can be both a nerd and an NFL star

Football fans who also enjoy anime were treated to a nice surprise during the Sunday Night Football game featuring the Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers last night thanks to a fun intro by Lions running back Jamaal Williams.

Before each Sunday Night Football game, the starters on participating teams record short intro videos. They will often say their own name, position, and college that they played at, but Williams had some other geeky-inspired ideas.

Sporting a Naruto-style headband, Williams called himself the “First Swagg Kazekage,” referencing the anime. In the popular series, the Kazekage are the leaders of the village, with the name directly translating to “wind shadow,” so Williams was feeling pretty powerful before the game.

And rightfully so, because the nerd show did not end there for Williams. After rushing for 72 yards and two touchdowns on the way to a 20-16 Lions victory ending the Packers’ playoff hopes, Williams showed up in his post-game press conference with another geek culture reference. And that was after an interview on the field that went from emotional to hilarious in seconds.

Sporting a diamond chain and swaggy coat to go along with it, Williams rocked a Gengar beanie, showing his love for Pokémon in addition to Naruto, solidifying himself as both a stud running back and gaming icon.

Williams wears his geek fandom proudly because this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. In a game earlier this season, he showed his love for One Piece with a Jolly Roger design on his thigh pad. He also tried to get out of another post-game interview quickly, while sporting a Naruto jacket, so he could “go home and play Pokémon.”

Detroit’s season came to an end despite finishing with a winning record, but it was a very strong one for Williams otherwise. The sixth-year player had the strongest outing of his career, rushing for 1,066 yards and 17 touchdowns, breaking the single-season Lions record of 16 that was previously held by Hall of Famer and Detroit icon Barry Sanders.

It’s hard not to root for Williams who is a character through and through, wearing his heart on his sleeve for all to see. Enjoy all that free time for games and anime in the offseason, Jamaal.