FanNation Crossover: Former Rebel Sam Williams Predicted as Starter in Dallas
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OXNARD, Calif. - Suddenly, Sam Williams is going to have “the hype” along with the fact that he "has the gifts,'' as Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy recently said.
But as the former Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman told CowboysSI.com leading up to training camp in Oxnard, he is busy trying to acquire more "gifts.''
He spends a great deal of time, he told us, picking the brain of pass-rush teammates DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. And he has worked under the tutelage of volunteer mentor Hall-of-Famer Charles Haley.
What do they work on? Williams mentioned using a "move to set up a move,'' "hand placement'' and "get-off.''
"Those guys are some of the great pass-rushers,'' he said. "I'm a good pass-rusher. I want to get to be like them.''
And what does it add up to? ESPN has issued a bold prediction that Willams will emerge from camp as a Cowboys starter.
The Dallas coaching staff seems to think highly of him, and is not holding back in its praise for second-round rookie Williams.
McCarthy is raving about Williams, saying, “I think we’d all agree that Sam Williams looks like a guy that was born to play professional football.''
This mirrors what defensive coordinator Dan Quinn recalled from when he first saw Williams in person at an Ole Miss pre-draft workout.
"Leaving the field that day, I remember telling Mike, 'Man I'd really like to coach that guy.' So that's a good feeling to have."
The Cowboys believe they did their research and cleared up any behavior concerns about Williams (see "I Didn't Do Anything'' here). And now they seem to be instant believers in the guy they made the 56th overall pick... coming to a roster looking to replace free-agent loss Randy Gregory.
Said McCarthy: “He has the gifts. He has the physical traits. … He has that kind of ability. He’s in a great place.''
Williams is pleased as well - with the coaches and with this "place.'' He joked that when he made a 30 visit to DFW, he considered missing "my flight on purpose so I wouldn't have to leave.''
And now that he's here? He might as we try to emulate the pass-rush "gifts'' of the likes of Micah, Tank and Haley…by shooting for a starting job.
Williams, a Montgomery, Ala., native, came to Ole Miss by way of Northeast Mississippi Community College. The defensive lineman put up 22.5 sacks across the span of his Rebel career, and he will now look to carry that momentum into battle with "America's Team" this fall.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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