Lions WR Jameson Williams shows his love for the game in prime time

Detroit – Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams was a man on a mission Monday night.

No, not when he broke free at the line of scrimmage on an over route that he knew was destined for the end zone. Nor did he, as he raced down the sideline and racked up 70 yards for a touchdown that would give the Lions a two-possession lead in their 42-29 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Williams' mission began after he crossed the goal line.

On his first assignment, he made a beeline for the goalposts, rose high, and smashed the ball through the posts as a tribute to Calvin Johnson, who was in attendance and inducted into the Pride of the Lions at halftime. Williams then made his way to the stands, doing his best Lambeau Leap impression at Ford Field and flexing for the camera as fans draped him all over him.

Amon-Ra St. Brown was hardly impressed.

“I feel like when you dunk him, the ball has to go down and not through him,” St. Brown said, playfully mocking Williams. “When he dunked it, he kind of just threw it and fell. I was like, 'Yeah, bro, you failed the dunking.' But I'm like, 'Cool, at least he tried.' But paying homage to Calvin was nonsense.

Williams was cited for unsportsmanlike conduct — hitting the ball through the uprights has been a penalty since 2014 — but Lions coach Dan Campbell didn't seem to mind too much. The headman still gave Williams a game ball in the locker room, and he praised the receiver for getting his attention with a few run blocks.

When it comes to Williams, the Lions will have to deal with celebration and sometimes excessive celebration. He's scored two touchdowns this season, and in each of them he pulled off a series of elaborate antics.

But that's his personality. The 23-year-old can't help it. This enthusiasm for great plays must be released.

“I give him a lot of credit,” senior right tackle Taylor Decker said of Williams. “He matured a lot (this offseason) and took on a lot of responsibility to get to the level he is at now. I'm not a receiver expert, but I still think there's more to it.” He just did a really good job when he came to work. That paid off. We saw it in training camp.

“It’s really cool for him to make the big plays and stuff in the games. And then you can see how much he loves football. That's contagious for boys, and boys like to see that. Give him a lot of credit for that.”

Williams had planned all week to dunk the ball as a sign of respect to Johnson, who was once famous for it. But that wasn't his only motivation. Some of his teammates — St. Brown was quick to say he was part of that group — didn't think he could make it.

As expected, Williams thinks his attempt was fine: “Some people in the facility thought I couldn't do the dunk, so I had to go up there and show it.”

Williams has caught 13 passes for 289 yards in four games this season, averaging more than 22.2 yards per catch. His arrival as a true big-play threat was crucial for Detroit's offense, which this offseason lost Josh Reynolds, who had more than 600 yards in 2023.

As long as he keeps producing, Williams' infectious and endearing personality won't go away.

“He wants to score a touchdown on all 30 of his celebrations,” St. Brown said. “I’m like, ‘Bro, you’re going to score again. Just do one, and the next touchdown you do the next one.' He's like, “Bro, I know, I know, I just have so much stuff on my mind.”…But that's Jamo, man. We told him (after the celebration) – all the teammates – we went into the huddle and said, 'If you do that again and leave us hanging (and) you run around, that's fine. You're not just running around (and) we're just looking at you and staring at you partying.”

“He said he’ll do better next time.”

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@rich_silva18

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