In a recent interview, Detroit Lions' Jamaal Williams defended Pokemon and its fanbase in hilarious fashion after a reporter mispronounced it. Williams has been known for his love of all things nerdy, including anime and video games. He even appears in several TikTok videos on the Detroit Lions' page wearing iconic clothes like the Akatsuki jacket from Naruto, and now he's shown that he's willing to stand up for the franchises that he likes. On the one hand, mispronouncing Pokemon seems to be a fairly common mistake, but on the other hand, it's enough of a cultural phenomenon that such misconceptions should be long gone by now.
It's certainly no surprise seeing this kind of thing from Williams, but it's refreshing to see a big name in the NFL openly admit and share his love for titles like Pokemon since it breaks some of the stereotypical boundaries between sports players and gamers. The whole interaction is quite funny to watch, and it's clear just how passionate he is about the franchise.
The interview can be found on the TikTok accounts for both the Detroit Lions and NFL on CBS, and has garnered very positive reactions from fans for the most part. The clip starts with Williams telling the interviewer that he wants to go home and play Pokemon, then the interviewer makes his first mistake. In response to Williams' comment, the interviewer repeats his statement as a question, saying "go home and play Pokeman?" Not missing a beat, Williams corrects the reporter, saying "Pokemon, don't do that. You can't disrespect Pokemon like that." The reporter doesn't do himself any favors for the remainder of the short clip as he tries to salvage the situation by telling Williams he got Pokemon cards for his nephew. Williams then claps back by telling the reporter that the cards he got his nephew "must have sucked." If he doesn't know how to pronounce Pokemon, it's doubtful that he got his nephew the best Pokemon cards available.
As if the video wasn't funny enough, the lore is expanded by the comments. Fans have plenty to ask Williams about his love for Pokemon, and the Detroit Lions' TikTok account responds to many of the questions. For example, Williams shares through the comments that he plays Pokemon Scarlet instead of Pokemon Violet, and even gives one player advice on which Pokemon game they should nuzlocke next (he suggested Pokemon Silver).
Williams' love for Pokemon certainly isn't going anywhere, and the player seems unafraid to be himself when it comes to things like this. Fans wanting to learn more about Williams should check out the Detroit Lions' TikTok, as he is on the page fairly frequently talking about Pokemon, anime, and the like. Even in the video above, Williams can be seen wearing a Village of the Hidden Sand headband.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Switch.