Q. Aneyas, what's this postseason run been like for you? Obviously no one knows exactly when you're going to have the opportunity and then you come out and make a big play. What's it been like this postseason.
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: Yeah, obviously it's been eventful. It's been an amazing freshman season. I set the bar really high my freshman year. Just the consistency throughout the season, showing up for my coaches and just being a 3rd down weapon, and then obviously just trying to grow in my role throughout the playoffs and just show all I can do.
Q. How good is Jeremiyah Love?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: I don't think he's done growing yet, so set the bar pretty high.
Q. Did you expect this type of playing time coming to Notre Dame as a freshman?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: Yeah, obviously I don't want to set the bar too high, I don't want to set it too low. Just coming in with a level head, wherever this journey takes me, it takes me.
But yeah, I definitely planned on expediting the process a little bit faster than most. Growing up in this 3rd down role, I plan on upping my role even more.
Q. Your name was called in the third quarter and time kind of slowed down as the ball was in the air?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: Yeah, without a doubt. Time slowed down as soon as I ran the first part of the route. I was like, I've got him. Obviously the ball is up in the air and then you've just got to focus on making the catch and let the rest just happen. Yeah.
Q. What have you learned from the rest of the running back room and Coach McCullough, being able to take advantage these first couple games?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think the big thing is just understanding the process, watching and knowing that all these guys went through the same process as me.
Obviously I've played a good amount my freshman year, and just knowing that a guy like Jeremiyah Love didn't even play a crazy amount his freshman year just really -- it keeps you level headed and humble just to be in the position that you're in, and the amount of trust that you have in Coach D, it just lets you -- you're at a good spot in your career and you're not thinking about the transfer portal or none ever that.
Q. When you see Riley sacrifice his body for two yards, what does that do for you and the rest of the guys?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: I mean, just knowing that your quarterback has your back, has the team's back like that, I mean, it just pushes your team to another level of obviously, one, respect for him, and then just knowing that even our quarterback had a his body on the line for this team.
There's not much that we wouldn't do for him, but just knowing that he would do anything for us, that's what makes this team.
Q. (Indiscernible) carving out the role that you have now?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: I would just say consistency, hard work and trust have been the biggest things that I've prided myself on, consistently coming in with a level head, ready-to-work mindset and then consistently doing it at a high level throughout the year, on 3rd down, stepping up, making the catches when needed, and then just trusting Coach D that he's going to put this group as he has and me in the right positions at the right time.
Q. Why is Coach McCulloch -- what makes him a running back's (indiscernible)?
ANEYAS WILLIAMS: I would say his experience and the guys that he has to speak for. He's been in the Super Bowl. He's won the Super Bowl. Then the best part about him is who he is off the field as a coach, the relationship that you're going to build with him.
I'd say the biggest thing for me was outside of recruiting, our relationship was really good, and he was someone that I wanted to be around, let alone be coached by. So just knowing that he has the tools and skill set also to apply that to somewhere off the field that I'm going to be able to build a relationship with, and then the guys that he has, obviously we're all -- we all have equal attributes that we just mesh well. Knowing that I get the coach and the players to surround myself with is huge.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports