Tyrell Williams was not this way in high school.

“I was kind of lazy,” he said.

He had the height. He had the athleticism. He had enough natural talent, he thought. So he didn’t devote extra weight-room hours to build his body into a Division I prospect or on-field time to polish his route-running.

At Western Oregon, those habits were shaped.


In the NFL, with the Chargers, they were further sharpened.

Wide receivers coach Nick Sirianni made sure of it.

“You can’t come out to practice and take any plays off,” Williams said. “He’s always on you. … It keeps me focused. I kind of got rid of that (issue) in college, but just to make sure none of that has come back has been a big help for me.”

Last year, Williams was an undrafted rookie from a Division II school. This year, he enters Sunday’s finale against the Chiefs needing 11 receiving yards to reach the 1,000 mark for the season. It’s a significant jump. Williams credits Sirianni, a young coach who many at Chargers Park believe is poised to rise the NFL ranks, for helping him make it.


Sirianni, 35, is first to deflect attention back to Williams.

The 24-year-old has worked for this.

Indeed, the many underlying factors for Williams’ production start with Williams himself. He should be credited for how he’s committed himself to his craft. His game is far from a finished product, but his dramatic strides since 2015 are a testament to the time invested in his own development, demonstrating a maturity and toughness to process coaching feedback constructively.

Early injuries to Stevie Johnson and Keenan Allen led to more opportunity in 2016.


Quarterback Philip Rivers and other teammates and coaches like Fred Graves have guided him along.

The list goes on.

Sirianni is high on it.

“I think he’s been one of the main reasons why I’ve been able to have success this year,” Williams said. “Working with him through OTAs and all of the (spring), we worked on a lot of detail, how to get in and out of breaks. He’s been a huge help.”


The two come at a stark contrast.

Williams is a calm, soft-spoken man. At most hours of the day, his resting heartbeat might rival his jersey number: 16. With his cool demeanor, he seems like he could go years without yelling at someone, the temperament resembling former long-time Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd.

And then there’s Sirianni.

He screams. Often.


This is a style adjustment Sirianni made in 2016 after spending the previous two seasons as the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach. Naturally, he took a quieter approach when working with Rivers and veteran Kellen Clemens. To hear the quarterbacks and wide receivers on the roster portray Sirianni’s approach is to hear them describe two seemingly different coaches.

But while the broadcast volume varies, Sirianni has been consistent in his program.

He loves and knows the game.

He thrives on its details.


He wants the best for his players.

“You coach quarterbacks differently from how you coach wide receivers,” Clemens said. “What’s been cool to see is how he can change based on who he’s coaching from a positional group but also as individuals. He’s really, really smart. But he also doesn’t have an ego where you can’t present different ideas. One of the signs of a great coach is being able to listen, and he listens. More often than not, he’s right, but he still listens.

“He’s a guy who should get a shot to continue to move up the ladder in this league. … He’s a guy who should be calling plays someday and hopefully have an opportunity to be a head coach.”

Sirianni grew up in Jamestown, N.Y.


His immediate family is composed of coaches and teachers. His dad coached him as a high school quarterback and in track. His mom has worked as a teacher. One brother, Mike, is the head coach at Washington & Jefferson College, a Division III school in Pennsylvania. His other brother, Jay, was a high school coach at the brothers’ alma mater, winning New York state titles in 2008 and 2009 before stepping down from Southwestern Central in 2015.

Sirianni is not a head coach yet.

“I’m kind of the outcast of the family,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve got to catch up to that.”

He very well could.


While coaches often are focused on player development, there also is attention placed on developing coaches.

Mike McCoy is a staunch believer in the practice, offering opportunities for young coaches like Sirianni and quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen to deliver specific aspects of a game plan to the team. This reflects not only their current ability to handle the role but the coordinator potential seen in their future.

“It’s good for their development,” McCoy said. “That’s all part of our job as coaches, to help the younger coaches, too, not just the young players.”

In the wide receiver position room, Williams and Sirianni are growing together.


Williams is at the cusp of reaching a new height in his career.

At this rate, Sirianni isn’t far off, either.

michael.gehlken@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @SDUTgehlken