Patriots’ Milton Williams has a newfound respect for pro boxers after putting on the gloves to cross-train
"I started last year, before last season just to (help) with my hand-eye coordination," Williams said. "But, most importantly, it's good for cardio."
Keeping a 6-foot-3, 290-pound body in shape takes plenty of movement, and sometimes cross-training can be a fun way to switch things up.
Patriots defensive lineman Milton Williams says he has incorporated boxing into his offseason workouts. It has kept him on his toes in more ways than one.
“I started last year, before last season just to (help) with my hand-eye coordination,” Williams said. “But, most importantly, it’s good for cardio. The hardest part, I feel like is keeping your hands up, keeping your feet moving.”
“Those three minute rounds, they get long, so its good. When you come out here, you get in between plays — unless they’re going tempo — like 30 or 40 seconds so you’re feeling good with the minute break that you get in boxing. It helps you recover faster and have your tank bigger.”
Williams said the workouts made a difference for him last year, when he helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. He played around 47 percent of the Eagles’ snap counts last year, but he was impactful when he was out there, posting 24 tackles and five sacks while appearing in all 17 games.
“Whenever I was on the field, I felt like I could play as hard as I can until I came out,” Williams said. “Every time I’m on the field, I try to do that.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel praised Williams for the way he maintains his body and said he has enjoyed coaching Williams so far.
“Early on, that was something that was important to know, was that he wanted to lead, and there has been zero pushback,” Vrabel said. “He’s fun to coach, he’s very mature, and so there’s zero reservation about his leadership ability. He’s here a lot, he’s here all the time, he shows up early, gets plenty of work in, he takes care of his body, he’s a true pro.”
Williams said he’s not much of a fan of watching boxing, but he appreciates the exercise he gets during his practice sessions.
“My respect level for (professional boxers) has gone way up, because their training is crazy,” Williams said. “I don’t even be doing a portion of what they really be doing and go through. So, all boxers out there, they’ve got a ton of my respect for going through that and putting their life on the line and stepping into that ring.”
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