Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive Back
Years: 1999-2001
Place of Birth: Redwood City, CA
Date of Birth: Aug. 14, 1980
Jersey Number: 38
Height: 6-0
Weight: 215
High School: James Logan HS (Union City, CA)
The first player in history to claim the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award in the same year, Roy Williams struck fear in his opponents as he led Oklahoma to the 2000 national title and a 31-7 record during his three seasons in Norman. The Union City, California, native becomes the 23rd Sooner player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A unanimous First Team All-American in 2001, Williams started 31 games for the Sooners, recording 287 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, nine interceptions and 44 pass deflections during his career. In 2001, he captained the Sooners to an 11-2 record and a 10-3 win in the Cotton Bowl against Arkansas. Williams posted six tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks in the game, claiming Defensive MVP honors. His performance during the 2001 season earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as the Nagurski and Thorpe awards, and he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest vote total in 2001 for a non-quarterback. In 2000, he led the Big 12 champion Sooners to their first 13-win season and first undefeated season since 1987, capped by a 13-2 win over Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl to claim the BCS National Championship.
In 1999, which marked the first season at OU for Coach Bob Stoops (inducted into the Hall in 2021), Williams helped Oklahoma notch a 7-5 record and a spot in the Independence Bowl, which snapped the school's four-year absence from postseason play. A two-time First Team All-Big 12 selection, he carved a unique place in Oklahoma football annals with an iconic play during the 2001 Red River Showdown. Leaping over defenders, Williams knocked the ball from Texas QB Chris Simms and into the hands of OU's Teddy Lehman, who scored a touchdown. The play sealed a 14-3 win for OU while earning Williams the "Superman" moniker as he appeared to fly through the air.
Selected as the eighth overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by Dallas, Williams played for the Cowboys from 2002-08 and the Cincinnati Bengals from 2009-10, earning five consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2003-07 while being named a First Team All-Pro in 2003.
William currently serves as the president of Global Security Corporation in Edmond, Oklahoma, which provides protection for VIPs, security at corporate events and other security consulting services. Active in the community, he established the Roy Williams Safety Net Foundation to support low-income single mothers. The Roy Williams Strength and Speed Complex at OU is named in his honor, and he is a member of the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
