Dallas Cowboys' Roy Williams is reignited
by Jean-Jacques TAYLOR
OXNARD, Calif. – For years, anger filled Roy Williams' body every time he stepped on the football field.
Maybe it stemmed from the middle school kids who teased him about a learning disability. Even he isn't exactly sure where it originated, but it helped make him a terrific football player.
Jesus Christ took the anger away when Williams became a Christian.
"I was trying to please people of the world and trying to be seen on SportsCenter. I was trying to get glory for all of the wrong reasons," Williams said. "I was trying to get glory for other reasons instead of giving the glory to God. It's all part of the process of what I've been going through."
Most of you don't really care about that.
You just want the Roy Williams who was one of the game's best safeties back on the football field.
Don't be shocked if you get him.
Williams had 115 tackles last year but did not record a sack or tackle for loss. He struggled in coverage, but he wasn't a bad player.
Average? Perhaps. Tentative? No doubt.
None of that really matters now. It's all about this season.
Williams will earn $3.72 million this season to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. If he is, Jerry Jones will continue making him one of the game's highest-paid safeties. If he isn't, none of us should be surprised if he's wearing another uniform in 2009.
You know it. I know it.
After Monday morning's practice, Williams said he's ready to be a force again. He sounded confident when he spoke. He smiled often and talked about having a good time at practice. He wasn't defensive.
Football, for him, is fun again. It hasn't been the past few seasons.
No one wants to hear year after year how he can't cover. No one wants to hear how committing his life to God over the last few years has made him a lesser player.
Every born-again Christian handles the conversion differently. It takes some longer to find balance than others. Then there's the scrutiny from folks who suddenly expect you to lead a perfect life.
"It's a transition. It's a constant battle to live right," Williams said. "You kind of want to do the things you did in the past, but at the end of the day if it's not giving glory to God, it's not worth it.
"I can't worry about what everyone else is saying. I'm not going to respond to foolish things. I'm not going to question who I am and my relationship with Christ for anybody."
The Cowboys drafted Williams to be a playmaker, and that's what he did in his first three seasons with former assistant Mike Zimmer as the defensive coordinator. Zimmer often played Williams 6 yards off the line of scrimmage and let him create havoc.
The result: seven forced fumbles, 18 tackles for loss and too many knockouts to count.
Bill Parcells wanted Williams to be more versatile, so he began playing him 12 yards off the line more frequently. No safety can consistently make plays in the backfield at that depth.
Last year, Wade Phillips moved Williams 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, which is close enough to allow him to read the guards and still make plays behind the line of scrimmage, but his alignment was inconsistent.
It matters whether Williams lines up 10.5 yards off the ball or 11 yards or 12 yards, especially since he has average speed.
"I probably missed 15 tackles last year because I wasn't lined up right," Williams said. "I'm really focusing on it this year. It's hard when the ball isn't on the hash mark, but that's what I've got to do."
He must also stop thinking about the horse-collar tackle. The NFL suspended him for a game last December for frequently violating the rule prohibiting horse-collar tackles.
"Last year, I really worried about it. This year, I'm not," Williams said. "If it happens, it happens. I can't let that dictate my play on the field.
"I just have a new attitude on everything – life and this season. It's not about showing anybody anything. I'm not trying to prove myself to anybody."
OXNARD, Calif. – For years, anger filled Roy Williams' body every time he stepped on the football field.
Maybe it stemmed from the middle school kids who teased him about a learning disability. Even he isn't exactly sure where it originated, but it helped make him a terrific football player.
Jesus Christ took the anger away when Williams became a Christian.
"I was trying to please people of the world and trying to be seen on SportsCenter. I was trying to get glory for all of the wrong reasons," Williams said. "I was trying to get glory for other reasons instead of giving the glory to God. It's all part of the process of what I've been going through."
Most of you don't really care about that.
You just want the Roy Williams who was one of the game's best safeties back on the football field.
Don't be shocked if you get him.
Williams had 115 tackles last year but did not record a sack or tackle for loss. He struggled in coverage, but he wasn't a bad player.
Average? Perhaps. Tentative? No doubt.
None of that really matters now. It's all about this season.
Williams will earn $3.72 million this season to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. If he is, Jerry Jones will continue making him one of the game's highest-paid safeties. If he isn't, none of us should be surprised if he's wearing another uniform in 2009.
You know it. I know it.
After Monday morning's practice, Williams said he's ready to be a force again. He sounded confident when he spoke. He smiled often and talked about having a good time at practice. He wasn't defensive.
Football, for him, is fun again. It hasn't been the past few seasons.
No one wants to hear year after year how he can't cover. No one wants to hear how committing his life to God over the last few years has made him a lesser player.
Every born-again Christian handles the conversion differently. It takes some longer to find balance than others. Then there's the scrutiny from folks who suddenly expect you to lead a perfect life.
"It's a transition. It's a constant battle to live right," Williams said. "You kind of want to do the things you did in the past, but at the end of the day if it's not giving glory to God, it's not worth it.
"I can't worry about what everyone else is saying. I'm not going to respond to foolish things. I'm not going to question who I am and my relationship with Christ for anybody."
The Cowboys drafted Williams to be a playmaker, and that's what he did in his first three seasons with former assistant Mike Zimmer as the defensive coordinator. Zimmer often played Williams 6 yards off the line of scrimmage and let him create havoc.
The result: seven forced fumbles, 18 tackles for loss and too many knockouts to count.
Bill Parcells wanted Williams to be more versatile, so he began playing him 12 yards off the line more frequently. No safety can consistently make plays in the backfield at that depth.
Last year, Wade Phillips moved Williams 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, which is close enough to allow him to read the guards and still make plays behind the line of scrimmage, but his alignment was inconsistent.
It matters whether Williams lines up 10.5 yards off the ball or 11 yards or 12 yards, especially since he has average speed.
"I probably missed 15 tackles last year because I wasn't lined up right," Williams said. "I'm really focusing on it this year. It's hard when the ball isn't on the hash mark, but that's what I've got to do."
He must also stop thinking about the horse-collar tackle. The NFL suspended him for a game last December for frequently violating the rule prohibiting horse-collar tackles.
"Last year, I really worried about it. This year, I'm not," Williams said. "If it happens, it happens. I can't let that dictate my play on the field.
"I just have a new attitude on everything – life and this season. It's not about showing anybody anything. I'm not trying to prove myself to anybody."
posted by The Gryphon at 6:10 PM
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