Roy Williams (safety) facts for kids
Williams with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008
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| No. 31, 38 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 14, 1980 Redwood City, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 222 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Logan (Union City, California) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Oklahoma | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Roy Lee Williams (born August 14, 1980) is a former American football player. He played as a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. Roy played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was recognized as an unanimous All-American for his amazing skills.
The Dallas Cowboys picked him eighth overall in the 2002 NFL draft. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals. Roy was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times in a row, from 2003 to 2007. He was known for his strong tackles during games. Today, Williams works as a sideline reporter for Oklahoma football games.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Roy Williams was born in Redwood City, California. He went to James Logan High School in Union City, California. There, he played many positions for the Logan Colts high school football team. He played as a quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back.
College Football Career
Williams attended the University of Oklahoma. He played for coach Bob Stoops's Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1999 to 2001.
Winning a National Championship
In 2000, Roy was a starter on the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners team. This team won the BCS National Championship. Roy set a school record for tackles for a loss by a defensive back that year.
Awards and Achievements
In 2001, during his junior year, Roy won two big awards. He received the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the best defensive player in the country. He also won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. That year, his team had a 10–2 record and won the Cotton Bowl Classic.
He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He was also chosen as a first-team All-Big 12 player. Roy was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. After this successful season, Williams decided to enter the NFL draft early.
The "Superman" Play
Roy Williams was nicknamed "Superman" while at Oklahoma. He is famous for a play in the 2001 Red River Shootout game. The Sooners were leading 7–3 with only a few minutes left. The Longhorns offense was trying to score and win the game.
Texas started their drive close to their own goal line. Roy Williams timed the snap perfectly. He rushed in from the side and hit the Texas quarterback, Chris Simms. The hit knocked the ball loose. Another Sooners player, Teddy Lehman, caught the ball and ran into the endzone for a touchdown. This play sealed the win for Oklahoma.
This famous play is shown on a mural plaque at the Roy Williams Strength and Speed Complex. This building at the University of Oklahoma is named after him. It honors his sports achievements and his generous donation to help build it.
Professional Football Career
Playing for the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys picked Roy Williams in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft. He was the eighth player chosen overall. He was known for his strong hitting and tackling skills.
As a rookie in 2002, he played as a free safety alongside strong safety Darren Woodson. The Cowboys' defense allowed them to switch positions to confuse other teams. Roy tied a team record by returning two interceptions for touchdowns. He was also a top contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In 2003, with help from Woodson, Williams had a great season. He made his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He was part of the Cowboys' top-ranked defense. They helped the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
In 2004, a new rule was made in the NFL. The "horse-collar tackle" was banned. This rule is sometimes called the "Roy Williams Rule." It was introduced because Williams often used this tackling technique.
Roy was sometimes called "Biscuit" by fans. This nickname came from his former head coach Bill Parcells. In 2003, Parcells joked about Williams' weight, saying he was "a biscuit short of a linebacker."
In 2005, the Cowboys signed Anthony Henry as a cornerback. This allowed Williams to play closer to the line of scrimmage, which was his strength. By the end of the 2005 NFL season, Williams had 2.5 sacks and three interceptions. He earned his third Pro Bowl spot in 2005.
In August 2006, the Dallas Cowboys signed Williams to a four-year contract extension. This kept him with the team until the 2010 season.
On December 17, 2007, Williams was suspended for one game. This was because he used the horse-collar tackle again. After the 2007 season, Williams was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in a row.
For the 2008 season, Williams changed his jersey number to 38. This was the number he wore in college. He also said that the number 8 in the Bible means a new beginning.
Williams broke his forearm in the second game of 2008. He missed four games. When he returned, he broke the same forearm again. This injury made him miss the rest of the season.
On October 14, 2008, the Cowboys got another player named Roy E. Williams. This meant two Pro Bowl players with the same name were on the team. On March 5, 2009, the Cowboys released Williams at his request.
Time with the Cincinnati Bengals
Williams signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on May 6, 2009. On November 13, 2009, he was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season. This was due to another forearm fracture. He had recorded 28 tackles before his injury.
On March 13, 2010, Williams signed a one-year contract to stay with the Bengals. That year, he made 59 tackles, one sack, and one interception.
NFL Statistics Overview
Here are some of Roy Williams' statistics from his NFL career:
| Year | Team | GP | TOTAL | SOLO | AST | SACK | FF | FR | FR YDS | INT | IR YDS | AVG IR | LNG IR | TD | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | DAL | 16 | 99 | 88 | 11 | 2.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 90 | 18 | 85 | 2 | 8 |
| 2003 | DAL | 16 | 72 | 55 | 17 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 69 | 35 | 39 | 0 | 8 |
| 2004 | DAL | 16 | 98 | 73 | 21 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 27 | 33 | 0 | 10 |
| 2005 | DAL | 16 | 81 | 69 | 12 | 2.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 52 | 17 | 46 | 1 | 10 |
| 2006 | DAL | 16 | 62 | 52 | 10 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 7 | 27 | 0 | 14 |
| 2007 | DAL | 15 | 95 | 73 | 19 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 2008 | DAL | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | CIN | 4 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 | CIN | 12 | 59 | 38 | 21 | 1.0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 114 | 601 | 471 | 122 | 7.5 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 20 | 307 | 15 | 85 | 3 | 58 |
Key to Statistics:
- GP: Games Played (how many games he played)
- TOTAL: Total Tackles (how many times he stopped an opponent)
- SOLO: Solo Tackles (tackles he made by himself)
- AST: Assisted Tackles (tackles he helped another player make)
- SACK: Sacks (how many times he tackled the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage)
- FF: Forced Fumbles (how many times he made an opponent drop the ball)
- FR: Fumble Recoveries (how many times he picked up a dropped ball)
- FR YDS: Fumble Return Yards (how many yards he ran after picking up a fumble)
- INT: Interceptions (how many times he caught a pass meant for an opponent)
- IR YDS: Interception Return Yards (how many yards he ran after catching an interception)
- AVG IR: Average Interception Return (average yards per interception return)
- LNG: Longest Interception Return (his longest run after an interception)
- TD: Touchdowns (how many times he scored a touchdown after an interception)
- PD: Passes Defensed (how many times he blocked or broke up a pass)
Retirement and Later Work
On August 24, 2011, Roy Williams announced he was retiring from playing football. He then took a job as a sideline reporter for Oklahoma Sooners football games. He also appeared on the television show Storage Wars: Texas on A&E. He was on the show for several episodes in seasons 1 and 2.
Personal Life
In July 2004, Williams started the Roy Williams Safety Net Foundation. He was inspired by his sister, Alecia, who was a single mother. The Foundation helps low-income single mothers get support and guidance. This helps them improve their lives.
Williams has three children with his wife, Kristy. He has known Kristy since middle school. His aunt, Vecepia Towery, was the winner of the TV show Survivor: Marquesas.
Images for kids
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Williams (upper right) during the 2006 Pro Bowl.
