Unable to play, Williamson pokes at Childress

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky Troy Williamson had an avenue to send a message to Minnesota.

After the Vikings traded him to Jacksonville for a fourth-round pick he could have put together a healthy and productive season, the sort that would have set him up for a bit of traditional revenge Sunday when his new team plays his old one.

Instead -- on a day when Jack Del Rio ruled Williamson out for Sunday's game -- the receiver popped off about his dislike for the coach of the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2005.

Williamson, 25, said he'd like to take on Brad Childress, 52, at midfield before the game.

The transcript the team sent out of Williamson's press session did not include the juicy stuff.

Here's it is courtesy of Vito Stellino:

Troy Williamson: I'm going to bring this up one more time and if you all could bring this up to coach Childress, we could meet on the 50-yard line and we can go at it but other than that, I love the guys, I can't wait to see them again it's been a really good feel.

How do you like your chances against Childress?

TW: I love 'em. I even could tie my hands behind my back and --all right, we're going to just leave it at that.

[Then later]

So you probably won't play?

TW: No. That's why I said me and coach Childress can meet at the 50-yard line so I can get my work in on Sunday.

​

When a Jacksonville reporter in a conference call asked Childress to humor him and share his weight, Childress said he was "190 pounds of twisted steel, romping-stomping dynamite." The coach then addressed the Williamson stuff after practice.

How did this come up?

Brad Childress: The guy said, humor me coach. Troy wants to meet you at the 50-yard line. I said, obviously he doesn't know that there is a buffer zone, which far be it from me to violate.

What is your reaction to it?

BC: That he doesn't know there is a buffer zone, and I have other things to worry about. I don't need any fines.

Are you concerned about his animosity?

BC: No. because I know my heart was in the right spot all the way along for him.

​

Del Rio didn't seemed fired up about the side story. Here are a few excerpts from his press session today:

Are you OK with Troy Williamson making those comments?

Jack Del Rio: I'm not going to get involved in that stuff. Different players move from team to team and handle it different ways. As long as our focus is on preparing hard and playing well, that's what it has to be about. I haven't seen many guys go after the coach and that become an issue. Unless that's going to motivate Brad to play hard, I don't know. I'm not going to worry about that one.

On Troy Williamson's emotional comment on Coach Childress:

JDR: That's between those two. How do I get involved in that?

Is it good or bad for a player to come into a game with that kind of personal emotion?

JDR: Troy is not going to play this week.

Have you already ruled him out?

JDR: I can rule him out now. He's not going to play. He's not going to practice. He's got a groin so he's not going to be available. I didn't see or hear the comments. [Jaguars PR executive] Dan [Edwards] let me know on the way in that something was said but I don't really have anything to add to that.

​

Del Rio's pretty much an innocent bystander on this one, but it's a story that will get a lot of headlines and amount to another distraction for the Jaguars, which is not what they need as they try to hold things together and move along.



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