.JPG) Williams with theDallas Cowboys in 2008 | |||||||||
| No. 11 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1981-12-21)December 21, 1981 (age 43) Odessa, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Permian (Odessa) | ||||||||
| College | Texas (2000–2003) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2004: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Roy Eugene Williams Jr. (born December 21, 1981) is an American former professionalfootball player who spent his career as awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL) for theDetroit Lions,Dallas Cowboys, andChicago Bears. He playedcollege football for theTexas Longhorns, earning second-teamAll-American honors in 2003.
Roy Williams was adopted at age six by two caucasian parents, Roy has repeatedly expressed how difficult it was growing up in Texas as a member of a biracial family. However, Roy claims that teasing only made him practice harder to prove himself to his peers.[1] Williams attended high school atPermian High School inOdessa, Texas, where he starred in multiple sports.[2] Helettered in football,track, baseball, and basketball, earning all-state honors in football and track and all-district accolades in baseball and basketball.
Williams was an academic scholar, making the honor roll all four years while attending Permian High School.[3]
Arriving at theUniversity of Texas in the 2000 recruiting class, Williams and fellow freshmen receiversB.J. Johnson andSloan Thomas were touted as the most talented group of incoming receivers in school history.
In his second season, he started 13 games, making 67 receptions for 836 yards and 7 touchdowns. As a junior, he was limited with a hamstring injury, appearing in 12 games with nine starts, while posting 64 receptions for 1,142 yards and 12 touchdowns. Instead of opting for theNFL, he decided to return for his senior season, registering 70 receptions for 1,079 yards and 9 touchdowns.
By the end of his college career, Williams had become one of the most decorated receivers inTexas Longhorns history. Nicknamed "The Legend",[4] he left school as the all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was a member of the All-Conference Team for theBig 12 on three occasions, and was a semi-finalist for theBiletnikoff Award during both his junior and senior seasons.
In 2013, he was inducted into the University of Texas Hall of Honor.[5]
Williams was active on the track club at theUniversity of Texas, where he recorded a personal best of 10.30 seconds in the100 meters. He also specialized inhigh jump andlong jump.
| Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 meters | 10.30 | Lubbock, Texas | April 29, 2000 |
| Event | Mark (meters) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| High jump | 2.08 | Lubbock, Texas | April 29, 2000 |
| Long jump | 7.77 | Austin, Texas | May 13, 2000 |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.37 s | 3.97 s | 6.75 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) | 17 | |||
| All values fromNFL Combine[6][7] | ||||||||||||
Williams was selected seventh overall in the first round of the2004 NFL draft by theDetroit Lions.[8] Many draft experts considered the pick a bold move since the Lions had draftedCharles Rogers with the second overall pick the year before.
In 2004, Williams set Lions rookie records with 54 receptions for 817 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games; he suffered an ankle injury midway through the season that limited his effectiveness.[9] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[10]
The following season, the team spent their first-round draft pick (10th overall) on yet another receiver, this timeUSC starMike Williams (no relation). He (Roy) finished first on the team in receiving yards (687), average per catch (15.3) and second in receptions (45).[11][12]
Roy Williams had a productive year for the 2006 Lions, with 1,310 yards, seven touchdowns and a 16.0 yards-per-catch average.[13] The 1,310 yards were the most in the NFC, and tied withIndianapolis Colts receiverReggie Wayne for third-most in the NFL. Williams' 16.0 YPC average was first in the NFL for receivers with more than 25 receptions.[14] He also had 24 catches of 20-plus yards, which ranked first in the NFL. He and teammateMike Furrey caught more passes (178) than any other duo in the NFC. Williams was named an alternate for the 2007Pro Bowl.[15] WhenTorry Holt withdrew due to injury, Williams was named to the active squad. He was the first Detroit wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl since 1998 (Herman Moore). Williams was the 2007 recipient of the Detroit Lions/Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association/Pro Football Writers Association's Media-Friendly "Good Guy" Award. The Good Guy Award is given yearly to the Detroit Lions player who shows consideration to, and cooperation with the media at all times during the course of the season.
Roy Williams also coined teammate and fellow wide receiverCalvin Johnson's iconic "Megatron" Nickname.
TheDallas Cowboys were interested in obtaining Williams for at least two years,[16] finally reaching a trade agreement with the Lions on October 14, 2008, in exchange for a first (#20-Brandon Pettigrew), third (#82-Derrick Williams), and sixth-round (#192-Aaron Brown) picks in the2009 NFL draft (the Cowboys also received a seventh-round pick (#210-Vance Walker) from the Lions in the 2010 draft).[17] He was signed to a new contract through the 2014 season; he agreed to a six-year, $54 million contract, with $26 million guaranteed.[18] Williams became the second option atwide receiver, while playing opposite toTerrell Owens and didn't have the immediate impact expected, catching only 19 passes and one touchdown in seven starts, although his problems were attributed to his unfamiliarity with the offensive system, playing with two differentquarterbacks and the lingering effects of a Lisfranc injury.[19]
In 2009, with the release of Owens, Williams was expected to take over as the team's leading wide receiver,[20] but against theKansas City Chiefs, as a replacement for Williams,Miles Austin had a breakout game with 10 receptions for 250 yards (a Cowboys record for receiving yards in a single-game, breaking Bob Hayes' 246-yard effort in 1966) and 2 touchdowns. Williams would be again relegated to the secondwide receiver role for the rest of the season, although he helped the Cowboys win their first playoff game since 1996, by making five catches for 59 yards including several crucial third-down catches in the first half.[21]
In 2010, the Cowboys drafted futurePro BowlerDez Bryant in the first round, but Williams retained his starting role alongside Austin. He got off to a quick start with 21 receptions for 306 yards and 5 touchdowns in the first 5 games, but his production declined significantly in his final 10 games (16 catches for 224 yards and no touchdowns) as Bryant gained a bigger role in the offense.[22] His best game with the Cowboys was against in-state rivalHouston Texans, in which he recorded 117 receiving yards and two touchdowns on five catches while only being targeted six times.[23]
His time with Cowboys was a disappointment, by the close of the 2010 season, Williams had totaled 99 regular season/playoff catches for the Cowboys and 13 touchdowns, 11 of which came from inside thered zone. He was released on July 28, 2011.[24]
After the 2011 season, Williams was released by the Cowboys. Williams agreed to sign with theChicago Bears for a one-year, $2.46 million contract, reuniting with offensive coordinatorMike Martz, who held the same title with the Lions during Williams' Pro Bowl season.[25] He finished with 37 receptions for 507 yards and 2 touchdowns, with his best game coming on Christmas night against theGreen Bay Packers with six catches for 81 yards.[26]
Williams announced his retirement from the NFL on his Facebook page on September 8, 2012.[27]
Receiving statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Rec | Tgt | Yards | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | DET | 14 | 54 | — | 817 | 15.1 | 46 | 8 | 34 | 1 | 1 |
| 2005 | DET | 13 | 45 | — | 687 | 15.3 | 51 | 8 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | DET | 16 | 82 | 152 | 1,310 | 16.0 | 60 | 7 | 66 | 2 | 2 |
| 2007 | DET | 12 | 64 | 103 | 838 | 13.1 | 91 | 5 | 34 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | DET | 5 | 17 | 39 | 232 | 13.6 | 25 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| DAL | 10 | 19 | 43 | 198 | 10.4 | 38 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | DAL | 15 | 38 | 88 | 596 | 15.7 | 66 | 7 | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | DAL | 15 | 37 | 64 | 530 | 14.3 | 63 | 5 | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| 2011 | CHI | 15 | 37 | 63 | 507 | 13.7 | 25 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 115 | 393 | 552 | 5,715 | 14.5 | 91 | 44 | 274 | 9 | 7 | |
Rushing statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | DET | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | DET | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | DET | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | DAL | 10 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 52 | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
After retiring, Williams returned to his home town of Odessa, Texas. He started an oil field trucking company tapping into the boom going on in West Texas.
Williams played a small role in the 2004 sports filmFriday Night Lights (his older brother,Lloyd Hill was on the team the movie was based on). Williams played the role of an assistant coach forMidland Lee High School, which is one of Permian's biggest rivals. His one spoken line in the film was, "He ain’t going to play." Williams is also the co-founder, with college teammate BJ Johnson, of MVP Vodka, an All-American Wheat vodka made in Dallas, TX.
His older brotherLloyd Hill, ended his collegiate as theTexas Tech University all-time leading receiver and led the NCAA in receptions in 1992.
