Roy Williams Brings Pain to Paul Brown Stadium

By Chick Ludwig

The Cincinnati Bengals have never been accused of attempting to set the pro football world on fire during the NFL’s annual free agency period.
When it comes to the open market, the Bengals generally have a “CLOSED” sign on their door. Forced to sift through the league’s leftovers because of their inability to win consistently, the team always seems to acquire players who are either over the hill, just past their prime or simply mediocre.
Sam Adams, Dexter Jackson, Brian DeMarco, Oliver Gibson, Tom Barndt and Michael Westbrook: ring any bells? Big names at one time, they became nothing more than big busts in Cincinnati as they lined up to collect paychecks at the Paul Brown Stadium Spa & Sauna.
Long-suffering fans, frustrated by one lousy, stinking playoff berth in 18 seasons, wanted to know if the club would ever sign a big-time free agent.
The answer — finally, a resounding, “Yes” — came on May 7, 2009, when former Dallas Cowboys strong safety Roy “Superman” Williams hit town, signing a one-year deal and making only one promise about Cincinnati’s defensive secondary, a unit that includes free safety Chris Crocker, backup safeties Chinedum Ndukwe and Marvin White, and cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. “We’re going to hit you,” Williams said. “We’ll be able to let receivers know that we’re back there and we’re headhunting. We bring a presence that we’re not backing down from anyone.”
With five Pro Bowls on his resume (2003-07) and an NFL rule named after him, Williams — an eight-year veteran who turns 29 on Aug. 14 — offers instant credibility, leadership and toughness to an improving defense that finished 12th overall in average yards allowed at 325.5 per game in 2008, but generated only 17 sacks and yielded way too many explosive plays.
“We’ve got to get some more firepower,” defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer proclaimed after the Bengals’ 4-11-1 finish. And they did, signing defensive tackle Tank Johnson, drafting strong-side linebacker Rey Maualuga and defensive end Michael Johnson, while bringing back Crocker, who made an impact as a 2008 midseason acquisition after the Miami Dolphins dumped him.
Suddenly, with Williams as the crown Jewell of the 2009 class, the Bengals have improved their physicality to the point where they’re beginning to resemble their big, bad enemies in Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Williams was the No. 8 overall pick of the 2002 NFL draft out of Oklahoma, where he earned his nickname in the 2001 “Red River Shootout” against Texas. Leading 7-3 late in the game, OU had the Longhorns pinned inside their 5-yard line.
Texas quarterback Chris Simms dropped back to pass. Timing the snap perfectly, Williams flew over the line of scrimmage for a blind-side hit on Simms, knocking the ball loose and into the hands of linebacker Rocky Calmus, who stepped into the end zone for the Sooners’ victory-sealing TD. The play is immortalized on a mural plaque at the Roy Williams Strength and Speed Complex at the University of Oklahoma.
Williams is famous for another reason, too. On May 23, 2005, NFL owners voted 27-5 to ban the horse-collar tackle, a technique in which a defender tackles a player by grabbing the inside of an opponent’s shoulder pads from behind and yanking the player down. It’s commonly referred to as “The Roy Williams Rule” because he perfected the maneuver.
It’s all a part of Williams’ long, strong NFL resume — 506 tackles (414 solos), 38 pass deflections, 19 interceptions for 307 yards, nine forced fumbles, 6.5 sacks and three defensive touchdowns. Just as important, he brings hunger to the table because he has a lot to prove. Getting back to Pro Bowl form won’t be easy, considering he missed most of last season in Dallas because he fractured his right forearm twice. He requested his release, and the Cowboys accommodated him on March 5.
Now Williams is hoping that a reunion with Zimmer — his defensive coordinator in Dallas — will rejuvenate his career as one of the most feared hitters in the league. Zimmer held the coordinator position in Dallas from 2000-06, a span that included four of Williams’ Pro Bowl berths.
“I know that Coach (Zimmer) knows what I can do on the football field,” Williams said. “I’ve been criticized for a lot, but I was never criticized when he was my coach. We’re going to get back to our old ways and have a great season. He knows how to position me to make the defense a better defense.”
Following Zimmer’s departure from Dallas, Williams was asked to play a larger role in coverage with the Cowboys. He was pushed away from the line of scrimmage to the deep middle, where he was less comfortable. As a consequence, Williams was victimized by some long passes and assailed by critics who claimed he couldn’t cover.
“Roy is a big hitter, a very tough player who lends a physical presence to a defense, and he makes plays,” Zimmer said. “He has also been very durable, with just the one injury that cost him last year, and that was a broken bone that’s healed now.
“Roy had his best years when we were together in Dallas. He was a big-time enforcer. When the ball was thrown over the middle of the field, not a lot of people came away with either the ball or their ribs or something. He’s a big-time blitzer. He’s a playmaker.
“I think we can take advantage of all his strengths in our (4-3) scheme. I don’t think the scheme in Dallas fit him quite as well when they switched to a 3-4, but he still went to the Pro Bowl in 2007.”
Williams had his share of problems in pass coverage in Dallas. However, he believes he’s a better fit in the Bengals’ defense because the club needs an enforcer who will punish the physical tailbacks in the AFC North Division.
“I’m going to be more involved in the defense here,” Williams said. “The last couple of years, I wasn’t utilized to the best of my abilities. We played to everyone else’s abilities, which is a great thing for the team and I’m a team player. Whatever I’m told to do, I’ll do.
“The Bengals defense showed signs of being something special last year. With the key additions, I feel like we’re adding to the talent that we have here. Hopefully, we can make it all jell together and compete.”
The Bengals’ theme for 2009 — “Fight Back!”
“There’s an awareness of what we did last season wasn’t good enough,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “It’s a group of guys who are very proud and know where they want to be. But let’s just stay below this radar and keep doing things the way we want to do ‘em. We don’t need to talk about it. We’ve got to go prove it.”
Lewis once said that with Roy Lee Williams on your team, you could play defense with 10 guys.
“That was eight years ago,” Williams laughed. “I want to bring just an added presence of a nice tandem with Chinedum and me, and Crock. I’m very happy to be here. It’s so good to be able to move around and get down there near the line of scrimmage and make some plays in the box. I’m feeling very comfortable. My confidence is gaining each and every day.”
One of Williams’ first moves after getting settled in Cincinnati was exploring the territory. He spent a day at Kings Island and took a front-seat ride on “Diamondback,” the amusement park’s newest coaster. Throughout the thrill ride, which reaches a height of 230 feet and a top speed of 80 miles an hour. Williams screamed his lungs out.
This fall on the football field, he’s hoping his play on the field will have the same effect on Bengal fans.

Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals for the Charlotte, N.C.-based Sporting News.