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Roy Williams (wide receiver)
Encyclopedia
Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. (born December 20, 1981) is an American football
wide receiver
who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears
. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions
seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Texas
.
Williams has also played for the Dallas Cowboys
.
(Odessa, TX), where he starred in multiple sports. He lettered in football, track, baseball, and basketball, earning all-state honors in football and track and all-district accolades in baseball.
, Williams and freshmen receivers BJ Johnson and Sloan Thomas
were touted as the most talented group of incoming receivers in school history. By the end of his college career, Williams had become one of the most decorated receivers in Texas Longhorns history. 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 the Big 12
on three occasions, and was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award
during both his junior and senior seasons.
by the Detroit Lions
. Many draft experts considered the pick a bold move since they had drafted Charles Rogers with the 2nd overall pick the year before.
(* represents NFL Combine
)
star Mike Williams. Roy Williams had a productive year for the 2006 Lions, having 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns. The 1,310 were the most in the NFC; and tied with Indianapolis Colts
receiver Reggie Wayne
for 3rd most in the NFL. Roy Williams and teammate Mike Furrey
caught more passes (178) than any other duo in the NFC. Williams was named an alternate for the 2007 Pro Bowl
. When Torry 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
).
on October 14, 2008 for first, third and sixth round picks in the 2009 NFL Draft
(the Cowboys also received a seventh round pick from the Lions in the 2010 draft). He was then signed to a new contract through the 2014 season; Roy Williams agreed to a 6 year, $54 million contract, along with $26 million guaranteed. After being traded mid-season to the Cowboys, Williams started seven games, caught 19 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. By the close of the 2010 season, Williams had totaled 94 regular season catches for the Cowboys. He was released by the Cowboys on July 28, 2011.
Williams played a small role in the 2004 sports film Friday Night Lights (his older brother was on the team the movie was based on). Ironically, Williams played the role of an assistant coach for Midland Lee High School, which is one of Permian's biggest rivals. His one spoken line in the film is, "He ain’t going to play."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
.
Williams has also played for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Early years
Williams attended high school at Permian High SchoolPermian High School
Permian High School is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas and is part of the Ector County Independent School District. It was the subject of the book Friday Night Lights which in turn inspired a movie and TV series of the same name.-History:...
(Odessa, TX), where he starred in multiple sports. He lettered in football, track, baseball, and basketball, earning all-state honors in football and track and all-district accolades in baseball.
College career
Arriving at the University of TexasUniversity of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, Williams and freshmen receivers BJ Johnson and Sloan Thomas
Sloan Thomas
Sloan Thomas is a former American football wide receiver from the National Football League. He went to Klein High School in Klein, Texas. He played in 46 games for the University of Texas, starting 20 contests...
were touted as the most talented group of incoming receivers in school history. By the end of his college career, Williams had become one of the most decorated receivers in Texas Longhorns history. 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 the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
on three occasions, and was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
during both his junior and senior seasons.
2004 NFL Draft
Williams was drafted 7th overall in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Many draft experts considered the pick a bold move since they had drafted Charles Rogers with the 2nd overall pick the year before.
| Pre-draft measureables | ||||||
| Wt | 40 yd 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 212 lb* | 4.37 & 4.42 (Combine), 4.36 (Pro Day) | 3.97 (Combine) 3.94 (Pro Day) | 6.75 (Combine) 6.72 (Pro Day) | 39.5 in* | 9 | 17 |
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
)
Detroit Lions
Rogers and Williams were set to become one of the best receiving duos in the league, but when Rogers was hurt on the third play of the 2004 season, Williams was left to carry the offense. He performed admirably, catching 54 passes for 817 yards and 8 touchdowns, despite suffering an ankle injury midway through the season that limited his effectiveness. The team performed terribly and spent their first round draft pick (10th overall) on yet another receiver, this time USCUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
star Mike Williams. Roy Williams had a productive year for the 2006 Lions, having 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns. The 1,310 were the most in the NFC; and tied with Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
receiver Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne
Reginald "Reggie" Wayne is a professional American football wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Wayne was selected in the 1st round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Colts...
for 3rd most in the NFL. Roy Williams and teammate Mike Furrey
Mike Furrey
Michael Thomas Furrey is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Northern Iowa and Ohio State University.Furrey has also played for the...
caught more passes (178) than any other duo in the NFC. Williams was named an alternate for the 2007 Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
. When Torry Holt
Torry Holt
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine-St. Louis Rams:...
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
Herman Moore
Herman Joseph Moore is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete...
).
Dallas Cowboys
Williams was traded to the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
on October 14, 2008 for first, third and sixth round picks in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
(the Cowboys also received a seventh round pick from the Lions in the 2010 draft). He was then signed to a new contract through the 2014 season; Roy Williams agreed to a 6 year, $54 million contract, along with $26 million guaranteed. After being traded mid-season to the Cowboys, Williams started seven games, caught 19 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. By the close of the 2010 season, Williams had totaled 94 regular season catches for the Cowboys. He was released by the Cowboys on July 28, 2011.
Chicago Bears
A day after being released by the Cowboys, Williams agreed to join the Chicago Bears for a 1 year $2.46 million contract.Personal