College Career
Williams attended the University of Oklahoma, and played for coach Bob Stoops' Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1999 to 2001. He was a starter on the undefeated 2000 Oklahoma Sooners team that won the BCS National Championship, setting a school record for tackles for a loss by a defensive back with 12.
In 2001, his junior season at Oklahoma, he won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's top overall defensive player and also won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, while leading the team to a 10-2 record and a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Cotton Bowl Classic. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team Big 12 selection, and recognized as a unanimous All-American. Williams decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.
Nicknamed "Superman" while at Oklahoma, Williams is remembered at OU for his actions in the 2001 Red River Shootout. The Sooners led 7–3 with only minutes remaining as the Longhorns offense took the field, hoping to execute a game-winning drive. With Texas forced to begin their drive inside their own 5-yard line, the Sooners prepared to pressure UT quarterback Chris Simms. Williams timed the snap perfectly. Simms barely had time to pull back from center when Williams came flying in from the blindside—over the top of a Longhorn running back who barely had time to rise out of his stance. The jarring and unexpected hit knocked the ball loose and into the hands of linebacker Teddy Lehman, who stepped into the endzone for a touchdown and sealed the game for Oklahoma.
This play has been immortalized on a mural plaque at the Roy Williams Strength and Speed Complex at the University of Oklahoma. The complex is named for Williams both for his athletic achievements and for his donation of approximately $100,000 towards its construction.
Read more about this topic: Roy Williams (safety)
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