New York Jets diary 3: Quincy Williams on being the Joker, injury fury, and 'second home'

The New York Jets have had a rocky start to the 2025 season. Four matches into Aaron Glenn's tenure, and the team is yet to taste victory.

However, as quarterback Justin Fields pointed out, Rome wasn't built in a day. The turnaround might take some time, but any win could be the spark they need; after all, the 1992 Chargers ended with an 11-5 record despite starting the season 0-4, so there's still hope.

In Week 6, the Jets are gearing up for a trip across the pond to London, where they'll face the Broncos. This marks their second journey to the UK in two seasons, having played against the Minnesota Vikings last year. On this occasion, the Jets will play as the home team.

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READ MORE: Jets diary: Andre Cisco on facing the Dolphins on MNF, fighting back, and returning to London

In the latest instalment of The Mirror U.S. Sport's New York Jets player diary, we get to know linebacker Quincy Williams. He discusses facing the Cowboys in Week 5, dealing with injuries, his love for the Joker, and his excitement about London, reports the Mirror US.

Previous editions have featured running back Isaiah Davis and safety Andre Cisco.

On being frustrated while on IR…

It’s really hard just watching your teammates go out there and sitting in the meetings, knowing that your teammates are fighting for the team. Meanwhile, you have the mindset and pride to go out there and help them, but really the way you help them is by staying inside, looking at them through the window, and focus on getting healthy.

It sucks, but it's one of those things which I take it into my rehab, saying like, “I know my boys are outside practicing and getting ready to contribute to a win. Like, how can I contribute to this win now that I'm not on the field?” I’m going hard on my treatment, making sure I’ll be good to go for when we play against the Bengals. I’ve got a full range of motion, so just trying to get back out there.

On his ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment…

My welcome to the NFL moment would have to be my first play. So I got injured during training camp, my rookie year. They told me I was still going to play the first game, so I didn’t play any preseason games. My first time putting the jersey on was media day.

But my first actual game, putting my jersey on for the first time for real, was against the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill. I’m like, “Alright bet, we here.” I got the first tackle of the first game. Crowd went wild. I loved it.

The second play I had to take Tyreek Hill on the over. He’s the fastest person ever. I was like, “Alright, we for sure in this now, wow.” First two plays, I got a tackle and covered the fastest person in the league. I’m good. After that, it was more about getting the game to slow down for me.

On joining the Jets and expressing himself…

That whole process was crazy too, because the Jags surprisingly cut me because I didn’t play in a preseason game. I thought I was a starter, then all of a sudden I got cut. It was just one of those things. It was weird.

My agent told me I was going to the Jets, and they were playing the Panthers the next week. [Jamien] Sherwood actually got hurt, so I needed to be ready. I didn’t know a single play - not one play on this team - but I remember being told to just follow the ball and hit the ball. And I needed to have a new identity, a new persona, about the way I play because I didn’t want to have that same feeling I felt when I was cut by the Jags.

On my first third down, I did my celebration: the uppercut came out. It was something I had never practiced or even thought about. I had only seen it on Street Fighter. I had never really done a celebration after a tackle other than the hammer when I was in college, which was a tribute to Kam Chancellor.

I saw the swing route before it happened, so I took off. I made a spear-type tackle, ans something just came out. I pulled out the u ppercut, and heard the fans go crazy.

Ever since then, it’s been my celebration. It was like something that I just felt. I finish them with the uppercut.

On splitting his two identities….

Quincy Williams the player and the person are two different people. Like that person on the field, he's a very vicious person - but it’s done out the kindness of my heart. I play for my teammates. I play for my family. The way I play, I want to be very vicious and be feared by opponents for the plays I makes.

But off the field, I'm really goofy. Like I laugh a lot, joke a lot. That's kind of like why I like the Joker too, though, because when you first met him, he's kind of like laughing, joking. And then all of a sudden he blows up a hospital.

Me, I’ll be laughing and joking. But as soon as the ball gets snapped, I change. That’s how I want it to be.

On his fondness for the Joker…

Oh, man, he's been my guy since I grew up, probably just because… actually, before the movie came out, I figured out he was misunderstood and he just kind of went too far. He was one of those people that always wanted to win just because everybody else wanted Batman to win. I was like, “Actually, the Joker be getting a lot of good moves on him though.” So I feel like he needs to win sometimes and I picked him as my character.

When I got to New York, it kind of like took over and I wanted to dye my hair [green] because like, I'm in Gotham City. This is where the movie is. It’s the best time to go full on Joker.

I also watched Weapon X, the documentary series on YouTube and how Brian Dawkins has Wolverine as his mentality when he gets in between the lines. I was like, “How can I separate Quincy throughout the rest of my life off the field, and then switch to that hunting mode and mindset?”

The Joker is my person.

On special plays with brother Quinnen…

So third down is what I call “his down.” So it's like, “Hey, bro, whatever you need me to do to get you open, let me know.” It’s not even like a game plan type thing. I’d just go to Quinn and be like, “What you need?” He'd be like, “Bro, pick this guard right here.” I’ll do it, and coach will be like, “Who drew that up?” Quinnen would be like, “Man, I told him to do it.”

But on first and second down, he makes sure they don’t touch me when I’m trying to run and get the tackle. If he makes sure they don’t touch me on first or second, I’ll make sure he gets his sack on third. That’s the idea.

To be honest, we also dreamed about playing against each other too. We had the chance to play against each other in our first year, and that was fun. But then we teamed back up and it has been like high school all over again.

On going to London in Week 6…

I’m very excited. That's like my second home now. I been going every offseason, and I went with the Jaguars, too. I’ve been to London six out of the seven years I’ve been in the league.

It’s grown. It's grown a lot. It’s cool to see all the different teams and fans coming out to show their support. I went this past summer, and learned that, at youth level, they don’t really know a lot about American football. I got a chance to actually teach people about American football with the flag, the girls football team.

It was great. Tried some new foods and stuff, too. But my favorite part about it is the clothes. There’s a street with really well-knitted clothes, like suits and stuff. Charles Tyrwhitt with their custom suits and shoes and stuff. I’m going to holler at them and see if they can get me a suit made, but I don’t really like dressing up if I ain’t playing.

On Jets being the home team…

Every time we've been on the away team. If we can get the whole stands to do the J-E-T-S, J-E-T-S chant, I feel like that'll make me feel good. Like the whole stadium. We’re the home team, so we gotta start it off and show what we’re about from kickoff.

On just a kid from Alabama playing abroad…

It's one of those things where you're representing American football. It’s bigger than just, all right, Quincy Williams going over there. I'm representing my family over there, I’m represting my city, my town, my school. I’m representing America like, this is our favorite game - well, baseball is meant to be our favorite game, but I’m stamping it right now. It’s football.

I’m representing everything and that just means a lot to me.