Roy Williams: The Cowboy of the 00's

[EMMITTnROY]

I was thinking about it and realized that here we are over halfway through this decade.. Every decade, every team has a player that is sort of the face of the franchise during that decade.. And without a doubt, Roy is the face of the 00's Cowboys.. He is our best player and hands down, the fans' favorite player.. Nobody even really comes close to him.. Julius make might make a run for it over the next few years.. Newman, Ware, and Witten are great and pretty popular too.. But nobody even touches Roy.. So I thought this might be a pretty good discussion.. I'll name every decade and the "face" or "the" Cowboy of that decade.. to me, the answers are pretty obvious, but let's see if everyone agrees..

00's: Roy Williams.. Like I said, I don't think that anyone else is even close..

90's: Emmitt Smith.. He was the best and the most beloved player on our greatest dynasty.. sure, Troy and Michael were great and popular too, but they were both a level below Emmitt in both talent and popularity.. When you think of the great 90's Cowboys, you think of #22..

80's: Tony Dorsett.. This is by far the hardest decade to decide.. All the other ones are pretty clear cut to me.. You could make an argument for the always underrated Danny White.. You could make an argument for Randy White and Ed Jones.. You could even make an argument for Everson Walls.. But even though Tony D had three huge years in the 70's, when I think of the Cowboys in the 80's, I think of Dorsett..

70's: Roger Staubach.. Much like Emmitt, he was the best and most beloved player on our other great dynasty.. Lots of great players, but Captain Comeback was the face of those teams..

60's: Bob Lilly.. He is Mr. Cowboy.. Need I say more?

So let's get this straight.. Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Roger Staubach, and Bob Lilly.. Roy Williams is in pretty good company there.. and I'm predicting that they will all be permanent neighbors one day up in the Ring of Honor..

 

[TRUTH87]

I would have to agree man. Roy is the 'face' of the Dallas Cowboys in 00's.

 

[Alexander]

I would have to agree man. Roy is the 'face' of the Dallas Cowboys in 00's.

My issue is that we don't have a marquee player.

We have a bunch of "you know, he's very good if--" type players.

 

[junk]

My issue is that we don't have a marquee player.

We have a bunch of "you know, he's very good if--" type players.

Agreed. For as much as everyone likes Roy's big hits, I still don't think he was the all around player that Woodson was.

 

[DipChit]

RW?

Sure.. but thats easy to say now that Polite has been cut loose.

 

[Cbz40]

My issue is that we don't have a marquee player.

We have a bunch of "you know, he's very good if--" type players.

and some of those "he's very good if" players need start making statements tonight.

They have the place, the game, and the opportunity to get their name on the marquee tonight.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

My issue is that we don't have a marquee player.

We have a bunch of "you know, he's very good if--" type players.

Alex, I've been meaning to ask you: whats the deal with the Simon pictures? because you have him plastered everywhere, I automatically think of him when I see your posts.. so basically, you are Simon to me.. and because your pictures are so frowny, I always think of you in a bad mood.. for all I know, you are a 350 pound Jamaican with red hair and freckles with a smile always on your face and laughter in your heart, but you look like Simon to me..

 

[Alexander]

Agreed. For as much as everyone likes Roy's big hits, I still don't think he was the all around player that Woodson was.

Had Woodson began his career at the tailend of a 5-11 team and continued on, perhaps he would also be held in such high regard.

If I started a team tomorrow and had to take either Darren or Roy Williams in their prime, the selection wouldn't even be close.

Darren Woodson would win. Simply because he was the better player. Not the most recognizable.

 

[Frozen700]

terence newman....ware...watkins...and bledsoe....need to show somthing tonight(well not really newman...he shuts his side down..but id love to see him pick 1 off)

 

[Aikbach]

I would have to agree man. Roy is the 'face' of the Dallas Cowboys in 00's.

Either him or Bill Parcells.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

True, around Dallas, most of the signs, commercials and billboards have Roy Williams on them, but I am starting to see alot more of Julius Jones and Demarcus Ware (saw him pitching a local car commercial on tv the other day).

But besides Bledsoe, I think Roy Williams is the most criticized Cowboy on the team, so it works against him as well.

- Mike G.

 

[Alexander]

Alex, I've been meaning to ask you: whats the deal with the Simon pictures? because you have him plastered everywhere, I automatically think of him when I see your posts.. so basically, you are Simon to me.. and because your pictures are so frowny, I always think of you in a bad mood.. for all I know, you are a 350 pound Jamaican with red hair and freckles with a smile always on your face and laughter in your heart, but you look like Simon to me..

How did you know I was Jamaican?

 

[Cowboyz88]

I read this somewhere, and I have to agree.

_________________
In the late '90s and early '00s, the Cowboys team and fans were DESPERATE for the next Cowboy's "star." After Aikman, Irvin and Haley retired and with Emmitt winding down his career and Randy Moss, passed on by the Boys, becoming a superstar, the Cowboys drafted and anointed Roy Williams the next star. Why not? Stellar All-American career at OU and played lights-out in our backyard during the Red-River Shootout. His rookie season, teamed with Darren Woodson by the way, just fueled the madness. Truth is, as far as safeties go, he's a great hitter, but incredibly inadequate as a cover-guy and hasn't gotten any better in 5 years in the NFL. For every great play he makes, he gives up one or two the other way. He's the defensive equivalent of, gulp, Drew Bledsoe, and not worthy of the deity-status which most fans give him.
________________

To me, Roy is the beneficiary of a star vacuum in the late '90s/early '00s for the Cowboys when the fans desperately wanted a new "star" to cheer for. He's been a good hitter, but not an all around superstar at safety, IMO. I know he's been to a lot of Pro Bowls, but we all know the Pro Bowl is a popularity contest.

 

[FRDRCK]

what about quincy carter?

 

[Alexander]

True, around Dallas, most of the signs, commercials and billboards have Roy Williams on them, but I am starting to see alot more of Julius Jones and Demarcus Ware (saw him pitching a local car commercial on tv the other day).

But besides Bledsoe, I think Roy Williams is the most criticized Cowboy on the team, so it works against him as well.

- Mike G.

Julius Jones won't get the deals until he can stay healthy.

Second, I have read he isn't the most sociable person on the team and likes to be by himself.

Roy Williams is the face because he is the most accessible.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

Agreed. For as much as everyone likes Roy's big hits, I still don't think he was the all around player that Woodson was.

Woody is one of my favorite Cowboys of all time, but I think that Roy has surpassed him in playing ability.. Woody was never the big playmaker or game changer that Roy is.. They were both big hitters, but Roy is by far the bigger hitter and all around intimidater.. Woody was one of our greatest leaders, but Roy leads by example on the field.. other defenders get pumped by his big hitting and play harder because of it.. Roy has better stats, even (gasp!) more interceptions.. this whole Roy can't cover thing is just way overblown.. Woody got beat from time to time too.. everyone does.. Aikman and Staubach threw interceptions.. Emmitt had a couple of fumbles.. Irvin dropped some passes.. Deion gave up some touchdowns.. But Roy, for some reason, is the only player that I know of that has every single past mistake brought up every week.. No matter how great he plays, he will never be good enough for some people.. Roy is an all around player and a great one at that..

 

[koolaid]

sadly, he hasnt had much competition...

 

[AdamJT13]

Woody was never the big playmaker or game changer that Roy is.

If Woodson was in his prime these days, he'd get bashed for not making enough big plays. Roy makes more plays than Woodson ever did, and he still gets bashed for it.

 

[EMMITTnROY]

If Woodson was in his prime these days, he'd get bashed for not making enough big plays. Roy makes more plays than Woodson ever did, and he still gets bashed for it.

Thank you!!! A voice of reason!!

 

[Alexander]

If Woodson was in his prime these days, he'd get bashed for not making enough big plays. Roy makes more plays than Woodson ever did, and he still gets bashed for it.

That goes with the territory. If you are the "face" then, you need to make the plays.

Darren was never the "face". Woodson didn't blow as many big plays due to his coverage mistakes. He played on worse teams than Williams has, yet I cannot recall him making the same type of errors in coverage.

But I suppose if you are easily impressed by the hits, you could overlook that.