Before Sunday, San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams appeared in just two career playoff games. Both were losses with Washington. The nine-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman finally got to taste victory on Sunday.
"I was so happy for Trent," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the 49ers' 23-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. "I don't think people realize how much Trent enjoys playing football. Any time you've got guys that talented, which he is as talented, to me, as anyone on the planet, they can show up and do [things] better than most people.
"What separates Trent is he enjoys it. I mean, he tries to get after people. He loves playing. When he practices, he practices only one way."
Williams didn't play in the 49ers' regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams due to an elbow injury. However, he was determined to be ready for the Wild Card game at AT&T Stadium.
"And I know how upset he was last week," Shanahan said. "It meant a lot to him to get to the playoffs. For us to give him that chance, you should have seen him practicing all week. He was ready."
Said Williams after the game: "Definitely waited too long to get my first playoff win, but it's all perfect timing."
The 49ers traded for Williams in 2020, taking the offensive lineman out of a bad situation in Washington. San Francisco was coming off a Super Bowl appearance, and Williams was excited to be a part of that. Unfortunately, the team endured one of the most injury-plagued seasons of any team in recent history, resulting in a 6-10 finish.
"And that was tough last year," Shanahan shared. "One of the reasons he wanted to come here was to try to contend, and we didn't have that team last year. And I'm just really happy for him and everyone else in there that they're getting a little taste of this."
Next up are the Green Bay Packers. Tonight, though, Williams is going to savor the moment.
"It feels better than any accolades anybody can give me," Williams added. "This is the best feeling in the world, and obviously it's short-lived because it's a tournament, so we've got another big game next week, but it's the best feeling."
