The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Hall of Honor spotlight: Roy Williams
12.20.2013 | Football
Williams was inducted into the Hall of Honor in November
By Jessica Stovall, Texas Media Relations
Roy Williams made a big transition in a big way. His personally unexpected mark on Longhorn football set a new standard for the expectations of production in the burnt orange uniform.
Williams watched his older brother, Lloyd Hill (class of 1993), play for Texas Tech University and subsequently became an avid fan of the Raiders. Other schools like Texas A&M, Penn State, Tennessee and UCLA all pursued his abilities, but at the time, the most appealing recruitment came from Mike Leach and his visit to Williams' hometown. Williams thought he wanted to continue the legacy his brother left behind in the panhandle, but a uniform of a different color soon took hold of his interest.
"I bleed orange," said Williams. "I've bled orange from the day I got my letter."
Texas was not the school Roy Williams had childhood fantasies about, but he left the university with astonishing accomplishments - paired with unforgettable memories - that will last him a lifetime.
"It was the greatest time of my life here in Austin," said Williams. "Being able to run out there and wear the number four and catch balls from Major Applewhite, Chris Sims, Chance Mock and Vince Young, a lot of people can't say that they did that. It was just a great ride that I had at the university, and if I had to do it over again, there would be no other school that I would choose."
Williams' sophomore season was the first of three in which he was a first-team Al Big 12 selection, and during his 50 games in a Texas uniform, he set UT career records for total receptions (241), receiving yards (3,866), TD receptions (36) and 100-yard receiving games (16). He started in all 13 regular season games his sophomore and senior seasons, and despite a hamstring injury that slowed him his junior year, Williams played in 12 games with nine starts. His performance during his junior and senior years qualified him as a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, and as a senior, he received UTs George "Hook" McCullough MVP.
Williams' legacy at UT left him with the nickname, "The Legend," and a spot in the 57th Men's Hall of Honor. Along with Williams, his former teammate, Quentin Jammer, was inducted into the 2013 class in November.
"Roy is such a phenomenal athlete," said Jammer. "Coming in, we had our battles at practice. I always said that getting to practice against Roy, I wouldn't face any better on Saturdays. It's even more special to be going into the Hall of Honor with a guy you played with and battled with on Saturdays. It definitely means a lot."
Williams is honored to have been inducted, especially with the notion of the brotherhood that it creates. The honor is a celebration of acclaimed UT athletes, and voters are alumni of the university. Not only was Williams inducted with a long-time teammate and friend, but it was given to him by former athletes that understand what it is like to represent the university, both on and off the field.
"This is a great honor, especially with so many players coming through this place - from Tommy Nobis to Vince Young, and the underlying guys, like a big Shaun Rogers and Casey Hampton - those guys that have done it at the next level and at Texas, too," said Williams. "To be a part of that and be able to say that I went to the same school as those guys, a lot of people wish they could."
The legendary sports network that Williams entered at UT provided him with the right tools to excel professionally, and after four years of collegiate football, he was the seventh overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2006 and spent five seasons with the Lions before moving on to Dallas in 2008 to help the Cowboys win their first playoff game since 1996. He finished his three seasons in Dallas with 99 catches and 13 touchdowns. Concluding his football career, Williams played one season with the Chicago Bears. He finished his time in the NFL with 393 receptions, 5,715 receiving yards and 44 receiving TDs.
Williams returned to his hometown of Odessa, where he currently focuses on family and his trucking company, RDub Trucking. He describes himself as a father, first and foremost, and his trucking business is something he started just for fun. He looks at the business through the eyes of a former athlete and says that his team of employees reminds him of the structure of the Dallas Cowboys' football ranks; he serves as the "Jerry Jones," a pusher acts as the "Jason Garrett," and his drivers represent the players of the business team.
Changing his fandom from Raiders to the Longhorns and agreeing to play for the University of Texas is not something he takes lightly; it's his legacy. He looks back fondly and remembers his four years of achievements and lessons he was taught at the Forty Acres as some of the best of his life.
"The university has always meant a lot to me. When I scored, I would throw the horns up. In the NFL when I scored, I threw the horns up. I always tried to represent the university," said Williams. "That's one thing that Mack Brown always said - try to always represent the university and know the eyes of Texas are upon you, so I always went by that. It's a great city, a great university, a great football tradition, so I can't ask for anything better."
