The Landry Hat
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Dallas Cowboys: 15 best first-round picks of all-time

By John Buhler

30 JAN 1994: RUNNING BACK EMMITT SMITH OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS FLASHES THE NUMBER ONE SIGN DURING THE COWBOYS 30-13 VICTORY OVER THE BUFFALO BILLS IN SUPER BOWL XXVIII AT THE GEORGIA DOME IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. SMITH RUSHED FOR TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND WAS SELECT
30 JAN 1994: RUNNING BACK EMMITT SMITH OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS FLASHES THE NUMBER ONE SIGN DURING THE COWBOYS 30-13 VICTORY OVER THE BUFFALO BILLS IN SUPER BOWL XXVIII AT THE GEORGIA DOME IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. SMITH RUSHED FOR TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND WAS SELECT /
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Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Best first-round draft picks in Dallas Cowboys history: 13. Roy Williams

Now wait. Which Roy Williams is that? Not the guy that coaches the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s hoops team, or the former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions out of Texas. We’re talking about the former Oklahoma Sooners standout safety who did work in the Cowboys secondary in the 2000s.

Dallas took this Williams No. 8 overall out of Oklahoma in the 2002 NFL Draft. Williams was a unanimous All-American playing for Bob Stoops in Norman during the 2001 NCAA season. He was a huge part of the Sooners’ most recent national title in 2000. Turns out, Williams was just as good in the pros during an interesting part of the Cowboys era.

Williams made five straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 2003 to 2007, where he earned All-Pro honors in 2003. During his seven years with the Cowboys, Williams was one of the hardest hitting safeties in football, often getting fined for such punishing hits.

Interestingly, the Lions wide receiver Williams would be teammates with safety Williams on the 2008 Cowboys. Both would make Pro Bowls, but safety Williams would not be for long in Dallas. He would ask for a trade from the team and would play his final two NFL seasons with the 2009 and 2010 Cincinnati Bengals.

Overall, Williams played in 98 total games with the Cowboys, starting in 95 of them. He recorded 414 tackles, 92 assists, 56 pass breakups, 19 interceptions for 307 yards and three touchdowns, nine forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries and 6.5 quarterback sacks.

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