Roy Williams (WR)
Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. (born December 20, 1981 in Odessa, Texas) is a football player who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was selected by the Lions with the 7th overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft out of the University of Texas.
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High School Career
At Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, Williams was a three-sport star in football, track, and basketball. He finished his football career catching 100 passes for 2364 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also returned kicks and played safety. As a junior, he caught 49 passes for 1521 yards (31.0 yards per rec.), and amassed all-state honors, which he repeated his senior year. In track, he posted a personal best of 10.48 in the 100 meter dash, cleared 6 feet 10 inches in the high jump, and won the long jump with a state record 25 feet, 6 inches. In basketball, he was a three-time all-district performer. But football was his primary sport, and he took a scholarship to the University of Texas.
College Career
Arriving at Texas, Williams and fellow freshmen receivers B.J. Johnson and Sloan Thomas were touted as the most talented group of receivers in school history, but while Johnson and Thomas spent their careers trying to live up to expectations, Williams made an immediate impact, catching 40 passes for 809 yards and 8 touchdowns as a freshman, earning him All-Big 12 honors (which he would win each of his four collegiate seasons), as well as Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Throughout his career he was known as a big-play receiver, wowing teammates and fans alike with his athletic ability and his knack for making spectacular acrobatic catches. However, he, and the entire Texas football program, were dogged for being unable to win the big game, especially against Big 12 rival Oklahoma, against whom Williams had a career 0–4 record. Williams posted 67 catches for 836 yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore, and 64 catches for 1,142 yards and a school-record 12 touchdowns as a junior, when he was named Big 12 Co-Most Valuable Player. Following the season, many expected him to declare for the 2003 NFL Draft, where he was the second-ranked receiver, ironically behind future Lions teammate Charles Rogers, and was projected to be picked 3rd by the Houston Texans. However, he chose to return to Texas for his senior season, and recorded 70 catches for 1,079 yards and 9 touchdowns, though once again his team underachieved, most notably being blown out 65–13 by Oklahoma. Overall, Williams' 241 receptions, 3,866 receiving yards and 36 receiving touchdowns are all school records, and second in Big 12 history.
Professional Career
During the the 2004 NFL Draft, Williams was picked by the Lions with the 7th overall selection, which many draft experts considered a bold move since they had drafted the aforementioned Rogers with the 2nd overall pick just a year earlier. The two receivers, along with rookie running back Kevin Jones, were supposed to provide the foundation of an explosive Lions offense. When Rogers was hurt on the third play of the 2004 season, however, Williams was left to carry the offense, and 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, and an errant quarterback in Joey Harrington. The team performed miserably, finishing with 6–10 record, and spent their first round draft pick (10th overall) on yet another receiver, this time USC star Mike Williams. Many sportwriters predict that, barring injury, the Lions' offensive quartet of Jones, Rogers, and Roy and Mike Williams are primed to explode in 2005.