Williams, Coaches Meet With Media

Jan. 10, 2002

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R. Williams

R. Williams II

Roy Williams Press Conference January 10, 2002

"I'd just like all of my coaches and teammates, as well as the whole Sooner Nation for everything during my time here. This has been a really tough decision for me. Leaving Norman, Oklahoma, and the family I've built here, it's something tough to do and hard to swallow. I do feel that I'm ready to make the jump and it's time for me to accept some new challenges. I feel that once I enter the draft and get into the league, I'll be something I've always wanted to do."

"I'm still going to be the same person, I'm not going to change for anyone. When I was younger, my Dad was a big Dallas fan and I remember telling myself that one day, I'd like to play at that level. I thought about that when I was younger and it's something I've always wanted to do."

On when he made his final decision: "I had a chance to go home after the Cotton Bowl and I had a real heart-to-heart talk with my family. We sat down and discussed everything. I told my parents I thought I was ready to go and, of course, they supported my decision."

On the influence of the OU coaching staff: "They've had a big influence on me. If I didn't have Coach Stoops and all of the coaching staff here with me, who knows where I'd be? I'd probably be in California or something, not doing much of anything. I'm glad I stuck it out with them and I just appreciate all they've done for me."

On finishing his education: "When I was a senior, one of the biggest things I looked at in schools was where I could get an education. I promised my Mom that I would finish. I'm going to finish up in the off-seasons and I'm also going to take some classes while I'm training for the draft. I am going to do my training here in Oklahoma."

On his plans to train here in Oklahoma for the combine: "I'm just going to prepare very hard with Coach Schmidt. He's a very talented coach who's helped a lot of players exceed their potential Why should I go somewhere else when I know I can work at our facility, with Coach Schmidt, in a place where I'm loved? I'd rather stay here, where my roots are, and with coaches that I know and trust."

Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops

"As a coaching staff, we're all for Roy. We've said all along that we want what Roy wants. I couldn't, with a good conscience, sit and argue against Roy entering the draft. The reason being is that he's mentally mature enough to handle the pressures of that league. He's got the physical maturity, the strength, endurance and speed, everything you need to do well in the NFL. There's not much more that he could accomplish at the college level. You hear a lot of people say they want to stay in school to win a national championship. Well, Roy was a part of our national championship team last season. He's fulfilled a lot of his dreams and we, as a staff, support him and know that he's ready to make this jump. I feel very strongly that he'll be a great player once he gets into the NFL."

"Roy has checked his draft status with the NFL and it's high. The scouts will go through and evaluate his play in some games. Then there will be some physical checks once it gets closer to the draft. They're going to check Roy in every way they can... vertical ability, speed, size, and changing direction. I'm sure he's going to have a great couple months of training so that he's physically ready for all of that. The projections are high, so we all hope that's how it turns out. We're just thankful for Roy and all he's done here. He's been a great example for our team and I think anyone who's associated with Oklahoma would echo those sentiments."

On areas of improvement for Roy Williams: "I don't know if there's any area Roy couldn't handle or won't be good at. They've seen Roy run-support, they've seen him blitz and they've seen him tackle. I think some people want to see Roy cover deep. I don't think anyone could argue with how we played Roy here, but if they want to see him cover deep, Roy can do that as well as anyone I've ever been around."

Oklahoma Co-Defensive Coordinator Mike Stoops

"I think Roy could possibly play three positions at the next level. He could play strong safety, free safety and even move up to a weak-side linebacker position. I think safety would be his best position and I know a lot of teams use their safeties the same way we do. I think Roy has a good feel for that and that should help him in the NFL."

On Roy Williams' improvement over the course of his career: "I saw signs from Roy as soon as I got here. He weighed about 230 and we were trying to figure out where his best position would be. Then, he got into the program and we saw what kind of talents he had. You could see how talented he really was and he'd make plays because of his instinctual ability. You could really start to see his development during the national championship season, from both a mental and physical standpoint. He had a breakout game in the national title game and this year, he was just the most disruptive player I've seen since either Jevon Kearse or Charles Woodson. His versatility is second to none among any safety I've ever seen. I've heard from a lot of personnel directors that they've seen a safety able to do some of the things Roy can do."

On filling Williams' position next season and in the future: "There are a lot of kids who'd like to play in Roy's position, but to ask someone to play in that role and do what Roy did, that's asking a lot of a young man. A lot of people like that position because Roy was so involved in so many ways. A lot of what we did on defense went through Roy, so it was a good position for him."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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