It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. For Dallas Cowboy fans it was a time of promise and a time of disappointment. It was 2008, and it was the year that the Dallas Cowboys had two players named Roy Williams playing on the same team. Not just two random players, but two former 1st round draft picks and Pro Bowlers and both of them playing for America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys. Yet their brief time together as teammates was so forgettable, that most Cowboy fans don’t remember that it ever happened. The following is a tale of tragedy, a tale of woe, a tale of two Roys.
The two Roys are seen here having a great time serving wings and participating in a “sauce & toss” competition with fans at the Star in Frisco, TX sponsored by Wingstop. These are happier times, far removed from their time together with the 2008 Dallas Cowboys which failed to live up to lofty expectations. Why was the tale of two Roys so forgettable in Dallas?
Roy Williams (the safety) started out his career on a hall of fame trajectory. In his first season he was in consideration as defensive rookie of the year. He followed that up with 5 straight Pro Bowl selections including All Pro honours in 2003. In 2007, Williams last season that he was named to the Pro-Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys finished with a 13-3 record and the #1 seed in the NFC. After getting upset by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the playoffs, the 2008 team looked poised to challenge for a Super Bowl. They started the 2008 season with a 4-2 record and then announced a blockbuster trade to acquire Pro-Bowler Roy Williams (the wide receiver) from the Detroit Lions in exchange for not one but two 1st round picks. With the addition of Roy Williams to compliment Terrell Owens on the opposite side, many predicted the Dallas Cowboys already potent offense would be unstoppable. That was not the case. The 2008 Dallas Cowboys sputtered to a 9-7 record and were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles in the final game of the season, a winner take all matchup with the division title and a playoff berth on the line. That marked the end of the tale of two Roys in Dallas and the decline of both players careers.
Roy Williams (the safety) had missed most of the 2008 season and at that point in his career his play on the field was declining at a rapid pace. Some say that was a direct result to rule changes that prevented one of the hardest hitters in the league from doing what he did best. The infamous “horse collar” rule, which is often referred to as “the Roy Williams rule” took away one of his signature moves and impacted his performance. Others attribute his decline to head coach Wade Phillips’ scheme which did not suit his strenghs. Still others believe that the game evolving into more passing than run based exposed a weakness in coverage that he could not overcome. In any case, Williams was released in 2009 and the Hall of Fame potential from his earlier years was never fully realized. Although, he will always be immortalized in the minds of Dallas Cowboy fans as one of the hardest hitters to have ever played the game.
As for Roy Williams (the wide receiver), his story with the Dallas Cowboys did not end in 2008. The Dallas Cowboys moved on from Terrell Owens in 2009 and Roy Williams was in line to take over as the teams number 1 wide receiver. That did not turn out as planned for Roy Williams. The big wide receiver was not able to replicate the big numbers he put up in Detroit and his teammate Miles Austin emerged as the Dallas Cowboys new number one receiver. Why was it that Roy Williams was unable to play up to his potential in Dallas? Was it a lack of chemistry with QB Tony Romo? Was it scheme, fit, or lack of opportunity? In an interview with RJ Ochoa of Blogging with the Boys, Roy Williams has a simple answer for it “I was traded for 2 first round picks and I was used like I was traded for a 5th round pick.” In the end, Williams time in Dallas was brief. He was released in 2011 and never made the impact he was expected to make when the team traded away those 2 first round picks to acquire him.
The tale of two Roys ended in disappointment for the Dallas Cowboys. This tale is a microcosm of the current Dallas Cowboys team. This 2019 team is loaded with talent and predicted by many prognosticators to be a Super Bowl contender. Yet despite all the talent and all the hype they are currently 5-4 and struggling to win in the weakest division in the entire league. Hopefully the 2019 Dallas Cowboys can avoid a similar fate to the 2008 team. Hopefully their tale is a happier one than this tale of two Roys.