Erik Williams

Erik George Williams (born September 7, 1968) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League who played most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys (1991-2000). He played college football at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he was an NAIA All-American offensive lineman. Williams was a 3rd Round draft pick in the 1991 NFL Draft. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.

Early years

Williams, was a powerful defensive lineman playing for John Bartram High School.

Poor grades prevented him from obtaining a division I scholarship, so he enrolled at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.

At CSU he was converted to play the offensive left tackle position, helping him become a dominant player at the NAIA level and an All-American.

During his collegiate career he helped the Marauders to the NAIA national championship in 1990. It was the first of CSU’s three national titles (1992, 1995) during the decade. Throughout that championship season, Williams helped the offense averaged 492 yards, 54.8 points per game and to also set an NAIA record for most points in a singe season with 594 points.

In 2010, Williams was inducted into the Central State University Sports Hall of Fame.^[1]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Williams, was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd round of the 1991 NFL Draft, with a choice from the Steve Walsh trade.

He played sparingly as a rookie, with Nate Newton playing right tackle. His level of play during the 1992 training camp, forced the Cowboys to move back Nate Newton to left guard, in order to have the best players available in the offensive line.

In 1992 after becoming the Cowboy's starting right tackle, he earned national recognition when he held Reggie White without a sack in a 20-10 Dallas win, earning the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week award. Nicknamed "Big E", by 1993 his physical and aggressive play, made him the top offensive lineman in the NFL.

Williams was involved in a serious one-car accident on October 24, 1994, which caused him to miss most of the 1994 season and took a long period of time before he was 100% recovered. Williams suffered a damaged right knee as well as a broken rib, torn ligaments in his left thumb and facial lacerations that required plastic surgery. A magnetic scan on the knee indicated two torn ligaments—the medial collateral and posterior cruciate—and a torn muscle.^[2]

He came back in 1995, not quite up to his standards, but still good enough to help the team win Super Bowl XXX and earn his 3rd trip to the Pro Bowl.

Williams was a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, playing in the 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1999 Pro Bowls. His ability to protect quarterback Troy Aikman and to run-block for running back Emmitt Smith helped the Cowboys win Super Bowls in 1992, 1993 and 1995.

From 1992 to 1995, together with Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei, Mark Stepnoski and Kevin Gogan, he was part of some of the best offensive lines to play in NFL history, later dubbed "The Great Wall of Dallas".

Despite his dominance and three Super Bowl rings, many believe that, if not for the injuries he suffered in his near-fatal 1994 auto accident, he would have finished his career as one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history.

Baltimore Ravens

He played his final year in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens in 2001.

Personal life

After his playing career was over, Williams had maintained a low profile, but had donated his time serving a coaching internship with the Cowboys, and coached a while at his alma mater Central State University. Williams is currently the Founder and CEO of World Champion Sports Group,^[3] Multi-Faceted Sports, Media, and Entertainment Company.

References

External links

• http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/news.cfm?id=7655EDFC-A553-553C-15B7F55BF70498D5
• http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138083/index.htm
• http://www.worldchampionsportsgroup.com
• http://www.maraudersports.com/news/2010/11/24/big_e_.aspx