Teddy Williams has something Cowboys like

By Jan Hubbard

SAN ANTONIO -- If an outlook that can be described as blindingly sunny has any impact, Teddy Williams is headed for superstardom and will be an integral part of a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl winner.

In the real football world, however, outlook, doesn't make tackles, cover receivers or somehow negate four years of football inactivity.

The Cowboys signed Williams to a free-agent contract Thursday and will try him as a defensive back -- a position he has never played.

The last time Williams put on football pads was in 2006 at John Tyler High School in Tyler. He went to college at UT-San Antonio, but his athletic focus was track.

A world-class sprinter, Williams ran a wind-aided 100 meters in 9.9 seconds in 2009. At 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, he also has excellent size and if ever the word "potential" applied to anyone, it's Williams.

But don't tell him that.

"They're expecting a lot out of me and they're expecting me to be able to come and be an impact on the team and be able to help the team get where they're trying to go," Williams said of Cowboys coaches. "So they believe in me a lot and I believe in myself a lot."

At best, the Cowboys are hoping Williams can adapt well enough to make the practice squad this season. And if his football IQ should prove to be exceptional, then perhaps he can ultimately develop into a player.

Right now,... -- Continue reading at the publisher's site