By Jay Skurski
Most Buffalo Bills players already had conducted their interviews this morning by the time news of coach Chan Gailey's firing reached the media.
Kyle Williams, however, was in the awkward position of speaking to reporters when the team made the announcement. Here's the transcript of Williams addressing his coach's dismissal.
Question: What was Gailey's message to the team?
Kyle Williams: "He just told us that he appreciated the work that we put in. Obviously, things have gone the wrong way at the end of the year. Guys still showed up and worked and worked hard and played hard. It was mostly that. To be honest with you, we didn't get in to job status, this and that. He just talked about he appreciated us."
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Video: Sully, Gaughan & Graham on coaching search • Gailey's full statement
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Jerry Sullivan's post-firing column: Right back to Square One
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Related: Bills make it official: Gailey is fired • NFL Network's analysts' takes • Players' tweets about firing • Key dates for coaching search • Fitzpatrick not keen on being a backup
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Q: What didn't work with Chan?
KW: "We didn't win enough. I think it goes back to what we talked about. Plays here, plays there, you know, things look completely different. Like I said, whether it's gaining a step here or there, those make the biggest difference in this league. It makes the biggest difference as a player and for a coach."
Q: Do you hurt for him?
KW: "I think everybody in here has a tremendous amount of respect for Chan. I've been lucky in the sense, the two guys I've had as head coaches are really, really solid, good men. They're great men to be with. Their yes is yes, their no is no. Obviously we haven't won enough, which is what it's all about.
Q: Do you get tired of starting over?
KW: "I get tired of losing, whether it's starting over or this or that, I don't know. ... Honestly, I think every year is kind of a new year whether you have the same coach or not. You're kind of starting over at square one, trying to find the identity of the team that year, what you're going to do well, what you're not going to do well. But, more than anything, I get tired of putting in tons and tons of work, and it's hard, sitting here talking to you guys at the end of December or January, feeling like another one kind of slips through your fingers because we only have so long to play, and I've been around a little while."
Q: You know what a coaching search is like, it requires work and playing time.
KW: "Yeah, hopefully not. Hopefully, we just talked about not being able to pick up fast and jell together fast on defense. Your hope is always that you can do that in camp and through preseason and when you get to the first game of the year you're ready to go. Hopefully that can happen faster."
