- Programming note: Watch Donte Whitner's "Players Only" interview with Trent Williams during "49ers Pregame Live" on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The offensive line is an integral part of any NFL team, but they are far from the players that receive any mainstream media spotlight.
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SIGN UP HERE Trent Williams, the 49ers' star left tackle, wants to change that narrative.
Growing up, Williams wanted to play the marquee positions in football for a player of his stature, such as a tight end or pass rusher, because offensive linemen can often get lost in the shuffle.
But when it was clear that the offensive line would be his position, the 34-year-old ensured he wouldn't just be another name by having his playing style stand out and be considered one of the NFL's best overall players, not only at his position.
"So my whole mind frame was to always think outside the box," Williams told NBC Sports Bay Area's Donte Whitner during the latest edition of "Players Only" this week. "Affect the game more than any other O-lineman.
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"Put your stamp on the game when you're out there. You're not just an O-lineman; you're a skill position. You are a weapon that can be used in the screen, run and pass."
Additionally, Williams' mindset isn't only to consider himself a skilled position player, but one that can deliver physical punishment to the opposition that has them thinking twice whether they want to make a play while his is in the vicinity out in space.
"My mind frame is like; I want to go 100 percent," Williams said. "I don't want to miss none of these dudes. I studied my angles. I study who I'm going against. I know exactly the scheme. I know exactly what angles to take.
"So I can make myself most effective out in space and give the [defensive back] the choice of either you're going to make the play and take a chance of getting killed by me, or you'll get out the way and we both run it back get up in the hole ... I get my job accomplished and you live to fight another down."
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Williams wants the game of football to see that offensive linemen can do more than just play in a phone booth.
He noted that the young interior lineman entering the NFL can be categorized as big athletes, which brings a smile to Williams' face because that's how he envisioned the position should be played and is helping those on the 49ers adopt his style.