Read the full transcript from Malik Willis 's media availability on September 9, 2026
What does it mean to you to start a season opener as QB1?
Malik Willis: Yeah, it's really cool. I'm super grateful and obviously, I'm gonna just try to take advantage of the opportunity.
You seem like a guy that doesn't make more of something that needs to be. But does first game with the new team where you are 'the guy,' does that bring any kind of heightened emotion?
Malik Willis: No, it's really cool though. I'm grateful. Obviously it's a blessing, and I just want to do everything I can and prepare for that and just take it as it comes. I mean, it's a few days out. We still got practice to do. We got a lot of stuff to work on until we can get there.
Coach Hafley said earlier today that he'll take a moment during the national anthem to kind of take everything in with this being his NFL head coaching debut. Is there a moment between now and kickoff where you'll kind of sit back and reflect on what brought you here?
Malik Willis: I mean, more than anything, I've kind of been doing that the whole time since I've been here. I think it's been awesome coming in every day, just trying to work as hard as I can, getting to know my teammates and trying to be the best that I can be. And I feel like that's all a part of it. I don't think it's a one moment thing for me.
What would you tell the kid who had to switch to wide receiver at Westlake now that you're preparing for your first NFL start as 'the guy?'
Malik Willis: I wouldn't tell him nothing – just keep doing what you're doing. God's got a plan for you. Just keep working, just keep working, keep working and focus on what you can control. And that's the main thing.
Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell are both listed as starters. Coach Hafley said that they deserve to start. What have you seen from them in your experience building chemistry that I guess tells you they need to be on that field?
Malik Willis: I think they've been doing a great job, just obviously making plays and physical abilities they have. Obviously, they haven't got to show all that to you guys and maybe not on the game field, but I think they've been doing a great job, working hard, trying to do everything they can to learn the offense and make sure they're as detailed as they are talented.
You might have rookie receivers, rookie tight ends, a rookie guard and a rookie fullback, maybe all of them on the field or many of them on the field at the same time. How do you plan to help them during the game?
Malik Willis: Just taking it one play at a time, making sure we're prepared before we even get there. And that's the main thing. Each week you got to prepare so when the game comes, it's a lot easier as far as mental gymnastics and hoops that you have to go through to execute a play. I mean, we'll get, I don't know how many reps. We got 80 reps today. We'll continue to just build and get those reps, mental reps and just continue to learn and get better. Obviously, there's going to be mistakes, but if we can learn from those mistakes in the long run, we'll be better off.
Coach Hafley said he won't have a pitch count for Chris Bell. How much do you like to hear that?
Malik Willis: I think that's awesome. I think he's been working hard the whole offseason to get back to where he's at the point to be in the game, obviously in practice. I think he's attacking it the right way as far as trying to be as detailed as he can be and just work as hard as he can.
Speaking of receivers, you got to spend some time with the certain receiver at Tarleton State.
Malik Willis: Yeah, my brother.
What was that like to be able to experience that with him?
Malik Willis: It was awesome. I'm super grateful that I got a chance to just go and see him play. He went through a lot to get to where he is now. And obviously, all the work he's put in just to see it come to fruition in the first couple weeks. Obviously, there's a lot of season left, but just to keep going out there and playing I think is awesome. I'm glad to get back out there whenever the opportunity arises.
Pretty big win.
Malik Willis: Yeah, facts. They got Army last year.
When you play against a pass rusher like Maxx Crosby, how much does that accelerate your clock as a quarterback?
Malik Willis: I think that's more of a feel thing. Every play is a separate play. It's not like he's on the field, now I have to be – it's more or less just being aware of him. Obviously, he's a great player and he's been for a long time in this league. But we just try to do the best to do my job and that's what's important, more than worrying about that type of thing. Obviously, like I said, you got to be aware of him. You got to know where he's at, but you got to play ball too.
How excited are you to kind of kick these things off? You have that calm, cool, collected demeanor, but the excitement of finally getting the season started.
Malik Willis: Yeah, it's exciting. I'm excited. (laughter) I am, I think it's cool.
You are the leader of this offense, obviously. What are some of the conversations you've had with the rookies, with some of the younger players? It's a young team in general, but how do you keep them motivated?
Malik Willis: If they're not motivated, we got the wrong guys. They're self-motivators, and obviously, I do what I can to get them going, but at the same time, like this is an opportunity that not many people get, not many people get a chance to play in this league and to come in as a rookie and have an opportunity to play. I think they're excited enough and they obviously have the stuff that they want to work on and they want to get better at, and I think they're doing a great job attacking the details.
Week 1, obviously you have a couple more days to prepare. How do you balance the concept of doing enough to get ready versus maybe doing too much to where you maybe you have paralysis by analysis? Do you think about that in terms of how you approach this Week 1 preparation?
Malik Willis: No, I wouldn't say that. I think it's more just preparing yourself and putting yourself in a position to go out there and be successful at whatever they may do.
What does a week of preparation look like to where you feel comfortable on Sunday? Like when you go out there – Hafley talked about if you do enough in the preparation, then you'll be able to play fast and free. What does it look like for you to be able to play fast and free on Sunday?
Malik Willis: Just go through a week of practice, and good or bad, make mistakes or successful every time, it doesn't matter. I think just getting those reps and being able to go through it on the field and in the walkthroughs and all those mental reps, I think that's what's important, just having that in your mind to continue to grow. When an opportunity comes and when you face that situation in the game, you have had it, you have a rep on it, you know what to do.
What are your game day rituals?
Malik Willis: Not really nothing, listen to a little music.
Any specific playlist?
Malik Willis: No, I got a playlist. My playlist got everything on it. I might be listening to a little old school. I might be listening to some hip hop. I got a little indie rock. You ain't even know I had that on there. (laughter) A little gospel. I'll be chilling, I like music.
The combination of De'Von Achane running the ball and also an unproven receiving core, a lot of people expect defenses to stack the box against you guys. How will you approach that if you see that kind of work?
Malik Willis: Expectation versus reality. I mean, people can expect whatever, but when we get out there, we'll see what they try to do to attack us and we'll try to do our best to play against it. We just play ball. I mean, obviously, everybody has these mindsets and thoughts on what it's going to be and what it is – if people can see the future, everybody play the lottery. I mean, but people can't. So we're obviously just going to try and go do the best we can do and be detailed as we can through the week of practice so we can go out there and execute our plays.
What do you like to tell yourself going into a game relative to wanting to be aggressive and create big plays but also limiting mistakes? It seems to me that both of those things would be weighing on your mind. So how do you process that?
Malik Willis: I mean, if you're going out there thinking about mistakes, you are in the hole already. You can't go out there thinking about mistakes. You got to go out there and play ball. Mistakes will happen. I mean, they get paid too. The defense is going to make a play. We just got to go play ball and be aggressive doing that. Obviously, situationally, it's how aggressive can we be? Sometimes aggressive is hitting the checkdown. You aggressively got there fast enough where he can transition and get extra yards. It's just a mentality of being convicted in what we're doing and that comes from the preparation.
Did the crowd noise getting pumped into practice help you guys at all?
Malik Willis: Yeah, I think that's always a cool thing, especially for the young guys. I don't even be hearing it half the time. I just be worried about what we got to do. And I think that's what we continue to just try to focus on with them and say like, 'that doesn't matter. That's why we play. We have to focus on what we're doing. And it's a mental gymnastics, a mental hurdle to get over,' and I think that's cool that he implemented that.
If you had one word to describe this team, with all the outside noise, how would you describe your teammates and yourself?
Malik Willis: Family. I think the guys are all sticking together. We're all on this train together. We're on this journey together. And we'll obviously go out there and try to do what we can to get better each and every day so we can go out there and get better each and every week. And that's all we can do.
What are your personal goals? Week 1, big opportunity for you.
Malik Willis: Just go out there and have as much fun as possible. I mean, this is an opportunity of a lifetime, bro. Not many people get to play and start football games in the National Football League. I just want to go in there and have some fun and obviously do what I can to make sure that our team is successful and we go out there and execute.
