It's been more than a year since the 2006 NFL draft and Mario Williams
remains an afterthought.
Larger names like Reggie Bush and Vince Young continue to stand in the
limelight, while the 6-foot-7, 280-pound former No. 1-overall pick waits for his
time to shine.
Facing a rookie NFL offensive tackle on Sept. 23, Williams would love nothing
more than to make his presence felt against the visiting Colts.
The pressure on Williams was enough to break a man last season. Seemingly
defying all logic, the Texans passed on both the Heisman and the hometown hero
to draft Williams.
Not even Miles Davis could keep his cool underneath that heat.
However, lost in the madness and media hype is the fact Williams did not have
a bad season last year -- he just didn't really make headlines.
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Mario Williams in pursuit of Colts running back Joseph Addai.
Brian Bahr, Getty Images |
At the very least, the North Carolina State standout was consistent, starting
all 16 games despite being hampered by injuries. Williams did all he could to
silence critics, leading the Houston defensive front with 47 tackles and adding
4.5 sacks. Not great numbers, but decent.
And as Dwight Freeney showed last year, you can't always measure a defensive
lineman's success or contribution strictly by the numbers. Freeney recorded 29
tackles and five sacks last year, but few would say he wasn't a significant
factor in the Colts' Super Bowl season.
Certainly, an established pass-rushing threat like Freeney garners much more
attention from opposing offensive lines than an unproven rookie. That much is
understood. Simply put, some average statistics look good when considering
the bigger picture.
What I don't understand is how people make Williams' numbers look atrocious.
Maybe it's because he wasn't able to fulfill sky-high expectations.
Indianapolis rookie left tackle Tony Ugoh may experience some of the same
pressure this season, and only time will tell how he will handle it.
At 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, Ugoh is no small man by any stretch of the
imagination. However, attempting to stop the larger and faster Williams will be
no easy task -- particularly for a player who will be starting just his third
NFL game by then.
Williams made his biggest headlines this summer while appearing on You Tube,
speeding away on a Lamborghini. He also was reportedly seen "making it
rain" at a night club, showering money on innocent bystanders. But he also
is supposedly down to 280 pounds, stronger, faster and almost 100 percent
healthy.
Nothing disrupts the Indianapolis offense more than opposing defenses
pressuring Manning. Nothing strikes fear in Colts fans like seeing No. 18 going
down.
Call him a dark horse candidate, but I'm putting Williams on the
"Looming Large" list.