Roy Williams (wide receiver)

Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. (born December 20, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Texas Longhorns. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. Williams also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears.

Early years
Williams attended high school at Permian High School (Odessa, TX), where he starred in multiple sports. He lettered in football, track, baseball, and basketball, earning all-state honors in football and track and all-district accolades in baseball.

College career
Arriving at the University of Texas, Williams and freshmen receivers BJ Johnson and Sloan Thomas were touted as the most talented group of incoming receivers in school history. By the end of his college career, Williams had become one of the most decorated receivers in Texas Longhorns history. Nicknamed "The Legend", he left school as the all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was a member of the All-Conference Team for the Big 12 on three occasions, and was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award during both his junior and senior seasons.

2004 NFL Draft
Williams was drafted 7th overall in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Many draft experts considered the pick a bold move since they had drafted Charles Rogers with the 2nd overall pick the year before.

Detroit Lions
Rogers and Williams were set to become one of the best receiving duos in the league, but when Rogers was hurt on the third play of the 2004 season, Williams was left to carry the offense. 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. The team performed terribly and spent their first round draft pick (10th overall) on yet another receiver, this time USC star Mike Williams. Roy Williams had a productive year for the 2006 Lions, having 1,310 yards and 7 touchdowns. The 1,310 were the most in the NFC; and tied with Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne for 3rd most in the NFL. Roy Williams and teammate Mike Furrey caught more passes (178) than any other duo in the NFC. Williams was named an alternate for the 2007 Pro Bowl. When Torry Holt withdrew due to injury, Williams was named to the active squad. He was the first Detroit wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl since 1998 (Herman Moore).

Dallas Cowboys
Williams was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on October 14, 2008 for first, third and sixth round picks in the 2009 NFL Draft (the Cowboys also received a seventh round pick from the Lions in the 2010 draft). He was then signed to a new contract through the 2014 season; Roy Williams agreed to a 6 year, $54 million contract, along with $26 million guaranteed. After being traded mid-season to the Cowboys, Williams started seven games, caught 19 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. By the close of the 2010 season, Williams had totaled 94 regular season catches for the Cowboys. He was released by the Cowboys on July 28, 2011.

Chicago Bears
A day after being released by the Cowboys, Williams agreed to join the Chicago Bears for a 1 year $2.46 million contract.

Williams announced his retirement from the NFL on his Facebook page on September 8, 2012.

Personal
Williams played a small role in the 2004 sports film Friday Night Lights (his older brother was on the team the movie was based on). Williams played the role of an assistant coach for Midland Lee High School, which is one of Permian's biggest rivals. His one spoken line in the film is, "He ain’t going to play."