Looks like linebacker Jason Williams is a perfect fit in Dallas. The former Western Illinois and DuSable High School star, who was taken at pick No. 69 by the Cowboys last weekend, already is causing a stir down in Big D.
Williams seemed fairly confident about his chances to make an immediate impact during a recent interview with Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
"I'm not going to say I'm definitely going to start, but I definitely feel I can come in and get the job done right away," Williams told Orsborn. "I'm a playmaker, a great football player."
"I've been underrated for so long, I have a chip on my shoulder," Williams said. "Nobody realizes what a great player I am. Now that I'm on a national scale, playing with the best players, everyone is going to see what a great player I am."
By my count, "great" was used three times in five sentences. There is nothing wrong with confidence, but Williams is getting dangerously close to cocky. How is that going to sit with veterans like Keith Brooking and Bobby Carpenter? There's an old saying in the NFL that rookies are better seen, not heard. I'm sure Williams just let his enthusiasm get the best of him, and he'll soon realize that gaining the respect of his teammates comes not from boasting in interviews, but working hard on the field.
Everybody makes rookie mistakes.