Big 12 Football: 50 best players of all-time

Big 12 Football best players of all-time: 23. Roy Williams, S, Oklahoma football

There was another big-name player in the Big 12 that went by Roy Williams — but he was a talented wide receiver. That Roy Williams just missed the cut in our top-50 and it was really hard not including him. The list is just so deep with talent that some tough decisions had to be made. As for this Roy Williams, the Oklahoma safety was an absolute game-changer at safety for three seasons.

As a freshman, he made his name known by recording 81 tackles with seven of them going for a loss. He also forced a fumble but he wasn’t just a heat-seeking missile, he could also get his hands on the ball. Williams had two picks in his first season and then had two more in 2000 before recording a career-high five as a junior.

While he could take the ball away, it was his penchant for the big hit that made him stand out — and helped him go 8th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft to the Dallas Cowboys. One play, in particular, stood out against Texas in a game known as the Red River Shootout. Williams timed a blitz perfectly in the final minutes and blew up Texas quarterback Chris Simms — he even got there before the running back had time to set up a block.

The hit forced the ball loose and Oklahoma recovered it for the win. There’s even a plaque at the University of Oklahoma to memorialize the big play. Williams wasn’t just a one-hit (no pun intended) wonder either. He had one solid game after another and won the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award that season for his work.