Williams's Ties Bind Him to D.C.

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Williams may no longer be with the Redskins, but his influence remains. Though Snyder let him go, the rest of Williams's staff remains. Greg Blache, Williams's top assistant, runs the defense, and though league sources said the relationship between the two is strained -- Blache agreed to take Williams's job before Williams had been informed he was being fired -- and they no longer speak, Williams praised the promotion of Blache and was proud his assistants got contract extensions in Washington.

"It couldn't have gone to a better person," Williams said of Blache. "He's been very successful in that position before, and was a top person I identified when I came to Washington of wanting to have. I think the Redskins did a tremendous job of promoting continuity there. And I do take great pride in the fact my staff is still there, and they will do an outstanding job in all the things they are responsible for. That's something [Redskins Coach] Jim Zorn does not have to worry about."

Williams and Blache may not exchange pleasantries Thursday, but there will be plenty of hugs before the game. Williams has not talked to Gibbs in months, but remains in regular contact with many of the defensive players and staff. Bonds go beyond football (when defensive end Phillip Daniels suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first day of camp last month, one of the first calls to his cell came from Williams), and they continue to share life and family experiences.

The crux of the defensive roster was brought in on Williams's watch, and although Blache is streamlining the system, Williams's terminology and many of his philosophies still apply.

"I still talk to [Williams], a lot of the guys still talk to him," said cornerback Shawn Springs, who found refuge in Williams's office last season when his father, Ron, suddenly fell into a life-threatening coma. "But yeah, we miss him, too. Gregg is a great father figure, a great guy to talk to, and somebody I shared a lot of things with."

Linebacker Marcus Washington said: "Gregg definitely leaves a legacy behind here. We learned a lot about football and different concepts from him and tried to play with his attitude, where he's always ready to go and is very aggressive. His leadership definitely reflected our attitude, and he passed that down, and now we're just building off of it."

Safeties coach Steve Jackson and secondary coach Jerry Gray played and coached for Williams, with their coaching identities very much forged by him. "Transition is a big part of this game," Jackson said, "but people have friendships and relationships, and those transcend the business."

Players and coaches campaigned for Williams to get Gibbs's job, and at the time of his departure, Williams's agent, Marvin Demoff, raised concerns about ESPN reports citing anonymous Redskins sources that Williams had disparaged Gibbs during the interview process, calling them a "smear." During his exit interview, both Snyder and Cerrato told Williams they had nothing to do with the ESPN stories, Williams said. Snyder and Cerrato declined to comment for this story.

Snyder's choice to promote Cerrato to the top football position a few weeks after Gibbs's retirement signaled to many within Redskins Park the end of Williams's candidacy to become head coach. Several team sources said there was friction between the men. Williams, however, thanked Cerrato for taking an interest in his family, attending some of his son's high school football games, and wished him well in his new position.

"Every year that Vinny has been there Dan Snyder has given him more and more to do," Williams said, "and now it's his time to step up there and take the reigns and show the Redskins fans that he's able to handle every aspect of the organization. That's what his title says he's able to do there, and I appreciate the relationship I had with Vinny when I was there."

Williams lauded Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville's head coach, and the personnel department. Since leaving Washington, Williams also has focused on his foundation -- GreggWilliamsFoundation.com -- and on his new team.

He reviewed every snap of Jacksonville's 2007 season, learned the Jaguars' terminology and adapted his defense to that verbal framework. He eliminated about two-thirds of the existing scheme and incorporated some of his ideas.

Living on the beach in Florida with Blake is great, but being away from his wife, Leigh Ann, and Chase is not easy (Williams's daughter, Amy, is entering her freshman year at Belmont University in Nashville). The family did not put its home on the market, with Chase thriving on the field and in the classroom (he is being eyed by NCAA powerhouses) and Williams on a one-year contract in Jacksonville.

Should the right opportunity emerge, Williams would consider being a head coach again (he coached Buffalo from 2001 to 2003). And Williams said he would not hesitate to answer the phone should Snyder reach out to him.

"I'll always remember the time I had there, and who knows, maybe I'll be back there again one of these days to coach again," Williams said. "I have a very good relationship with Dan Snyder, and I really enjoyed my time there, and I wouldn't discount saying I could come back through there again. I've got a lot of good years left in the NFL, and I loved my experience there and loved the Redskins and loved the Redskins' fans. It was a great experience, and to see it unfold again, well, you never know what can happen in this league."