Shut Up Roy Williams

Drafted 7^th Overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2004 NFL Draft, Roy Williams entered the NFL as a freakish physical specimen.  Aside from the Lions’ obsession with taking wide receivers in the first round (i.e. Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Calvin Johnson) Williams was an intriguing pick because of his potential to stretch the field standing at 6’3” and 215lbs.

It took three seasons, but Williams finally reached his potential in a Pro Bowl 2006 season with 82 receptions for 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns.  It was apparent that Williams was on the path to stardom for the lowly Detroit Lions.  Over the past four seasons it would be generous to call Williams a shadow of his former self as he accounted for just 175 receptions for 2394 yards.  Williams’ chance at reaching stardom has dwindled and at 29 years old age he is simply a journeymen wide receiver now on his third team.

Williams now makes the headlines not for his play on the field, but his harassment of rookies on the practice field.  Last season Williams tried to force talented rookie wideout Dez Bryant into carrying his pads off the practice field.  Bryant refused, so Williams invited the entire team out to dinner on Bryant’s dime; the final tab: $54,896.  In an encouraging rookie campaign Bryant had the last laugh amassing more receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in three less games played, not to mention Bryant is still with the Cowboys.

A year later in a new city Williams pulled the same antics forcing free agent rookie Jimmy Young out of Texas Christian University to carry his pads off the field.  Young went along with the shenanigans probably realizing Williams will be out of a job anyway if he doesn’t get his act together.  Just six days ago Williams admitted to Comcast SportsNet Chicago that he was not in football shape exclaiming, "(I'm) getting my wind right."  Turns out Williams had Young carry the pads off the field not to continue the tradition of rookie hazing, but rather out of necessity.  Moral of the story, shut up Roy Williams, how about you focus more on getting in shape than keeping your name in the headlines?