By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
Former Cowboys receiver and Longhorns legend Roy Williams announced his retirement after nine star-crossed years in the NFL with a status update on his Facebook page Saturday morning.
Williams said he had a great time in NFL despite several ups and downs but is ready to move on with his life and spend more time with his family, especially sons Jordan and Dallas, ages 6 and 3, respectively.
Although Williams admits thinking about retiring last year when he was with the Chicago Bears, he didn’t necessarily go out on his own terms.
He had planned on playing in 2012 but only got one tryout and that was with the Houston Texans in late July. The Texans didn’t offer him a contract and he said at the time he would wait until the second week of the season before giving up.
But Williams knew he was done when he passed on a tryout with the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago.
“Being here with my kids, I was able to take my son to school for the first time,” Williams said. “There was no need for me to go back. It’s hard to quit when you have been doing something the third grade. I’m in good shape. I’m at 208 pounds, my lowest weight since college. I can still play. But when I declined to workout in Miami, I knew I was done.”
While Williams is content with his time in the NFL, he readily acknowledges his career didn’t go as planned after being so dominant in high school at Odessa Permian and in college at Texas and then being picked seventh overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2004 NFL Draft.
He doesn’t sugar coat the fact that things started to go downhill when he was traded to the Cowboys in 2008 _ which was a dream come to true to him and the reason he named his second son Dallas.
“Put up good numbers my first few years, went to a Pro Bowl then I got to Dallas and it stopped,” Williams said. “It is what it is. God had a plan for me. The grass ain’t always greener on the other side.”
Williams ends his career with 393 catches for 5,715 yards and 44 touchdown _ including 245 of those catches and 28 touchdowns during his first fours years with the Lions. His best season was in 2006 with 82 catches for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns.
He was traded to the Cowboys five games into the 2008 season for a first, third and sixth round pick. Williams was also given a five-year, $45 million contract extension.
It proved to be one of the worst trades in Cowboys history as Williams caught 94 passes and 13 touchdowns in 40 games before being cut following the 2010 season.
He caught 37 passes and two touchdowns with the Bears last season _ continuing what was a steep decline in production over the last five years.
“I accomplished what I wanted except for a Super Bowl,” Williams said. “I got traded to America’s team. That dream came true. It was up and down. The last two teams I played for were the most traditional teams in the NFL.”
In addition to spending times with his kids, Williams will turn his attention to his trucking business he started in West Texas August.
“I get to be the boss,” Williams said “I’ll be Jerry Jones off RDubb trucking.”
Here is Williams’ retirement update from his facebook page:
“My time in the NFL is over, had a great time, ups and downs, met soooo many ppl, fans, and friends. Played with some of the best athletes in the world, alot of ppl don't get that opportunity. But now it's time for me to have my family time that I've missed for the last 9yrs, spending it with Jordan and Dallas and the ppl who love me, so I will never strap it up again(even tho i can still play), but at the same time I'm ready to give that dream up. Came into the league healthy, and im walking away healthy, with my head held high. Thank you all who've cheered for me, booed me, and loved me, y'all are still fans to me!”
Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...ed-turning-point-in-dallas.html#storylink=cpy
Former Cowboys receiver and Longhorns legend Roy Williams announced his retirement after nine star-crossed years in the NFL with a status update on his Facebook page Saturday morning.
Williams said he had a great time in NFL despite several ups and downs but is ready to move on with his life and spend more time with his family, especially sons Jordan and Dallas, ages 6 and 3, respectively.
Although Williams admits thinking about retiring last year when he was with the Chicago Bears, he didn’t necessarily go out on his own terms.
He had planned on playing in 2012 but only got one tryout and that was with the Houston Texans in late July. The Texans didn’t offer him a contract and he said at the time he would wait until the second week of the season before giving up.
But Williams knew he was done when he passed on a tryout with the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago.
“Being here with my kids, I was able to take my son to school for the first time,” Williams said. “There was no need for me to go back. It’s hard to quit when you have been doing something the third grade. I’m in good shape. I’m at 208 pounds, my lowest weight since college. I can still play. But when I declined to workout in Miami, I knew I was done.”
While Williams is content with his time in the NFL, he readily acknowledges his career didn’t go as planned after being so dominant in high school at Odessa Permian and in college at Texas and then being picked seventh overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2004 NFL Draft.
He doesn’t sugar coat the fact that things started to go downhill when he was traded to the Cowboys in 2008 _ which was a dream come to true to him and the reason he named his second son Dallas.
“Put up good numbers my first few years, went to a Pro Bowl then I got to Dallas and it stopped,” Williams said. “It is what it is. God had a plan for me. The grass ain’t always greener on the other side.”
Williams ends his career with 393 catches for 5,715 yards and 44 touchdown _ including 245 of those catches and 28 touchdowns during his first fours years with the Lions. His best season was in 2006 with 82 catches for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns.
He was traded to the Cowboys five games into the 2008 season for a first, third and sixth round pick. Williams was also given a five-year, $45 million contract extension.
It proved to be one of the worst trades in Cowboys history as Williams caught 94 passes and 13 touchdowns in 40 games before being cut following the 2010 season.
He caught 37 passes and two touchdowns with the Bears last season _ continuing what was a steep decline in production over the last five years.
“I accomplished what I wanted except for a Super Bowl,” Williams said. “I got traded to America’s team. That dream came true. It was up and down. The last two teams I played for were the most traditional teams in the NFL.”
In addition to spending times with his kids, Williams will turn his attention to his trucking business he started in West Texas August.
“I get to be the boss,” Williams said “I’ll be Jerry Jones off RDubb trucking.”
Here is Williams’ retirement update from his facebook page:
“My time in the NFL is over, had a great time, ups and downs, met soooo many ppl, fans, and friends. Played with some of the best athletes in the world, alot of ppl don't get that opportunity. But now it's time for me to have my family time that I've missed for the last 9yrs, spending it with Jordan and Dallas and the ppl who love me, so I will never strap it up again(even tho i can still play), but at the same time I'm ready to give that dream up. Came into the league healthy, and im walking away healthy, with my head held high. Thank you all who've cheered for me, booed me, and loved me, y'all are still fans to me!”
Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...ed-turning-point-in-dallas.html#storylink=cpy
