Professor

Texans' Williams is ready to move past rookie year | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

excerpt:

Mario Williams didn't know what to expect when Texans owner Bob McNair called him into his office. It was shortly after the video of Williams speeding in his Lamborghini surfaced on the Internet, and the defensive end knew McNair couldn't be happy.

Williams had been in the organization long enough to know McNair holds players to a high standard off the field, but he wasn't sure how McNair would react when players fall short of those expectations.

"He could have been in there bashing me and pointing fingers, but the way he came at me showed that he does care," Williams, 22, said. "It wasn't one of those things where he was just trying to punish me. He brought me in basically with open arms, and I greatly appreciate that.

"I knew things with me were always under a microscope. But it's just one of those things that bring you back to reality and let's you know you can't even do any little thing now. It wasn't one of those, 'You shouldn't have done that.' It just brought me back down. I'm glad I had that."

Williams, who was the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft and started all 16 games at right defensive end in his rookie year, needed the offseason as much as anyone on the Texans' roster. It was a time for him to get away from the scrutiny, to heal the plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and, in the end, to gain a little more perspective.

During the team's 19-week hiatus, Williams did almost everything right. The 6-7, 291-pounder stayed off his foot until it healed. He became one of the most devoted players in the offseason weightlifting program. And as far as his offseason mistakes — he learned from them.

"I think part of that is him just (going through) the growing process and becoming a pro," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's got to understand that he's got to stay out of those situations. We'll teach him whatever we can teach him. I'm worried about him playing football and being a good kid. He's done that for us, and I expect him to continue to do that."

Kubiak marvels at watching a healthy Williams participate in drills these days. As last season dragged on, Williams was unable to practice but did play through the pain in his foot.

"It was really gradual," Williams said of the healing process. "It wasn't one day like, 'Oh, my God, I can walk. All right!' I just completely stayed off of it until I had to do something. And then it was better. It's a big shock now. It's almost like having a new foot."

With his new foot comes a new season and new expectations. Some of Williams' teammates have targeted this season as the one in which he will show why the Texans chose him over Vince Young and Reggie Bush.

Williams entered this month's organized team activities in better shape than a year ago. He also is making strides in his technique. He is working on improving his footwork and improving the way his hands work with his feet.

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FatBear

That's kind of tuff for a rookie. He spent his first year really learning his position on a professional level, and now he has to learn a new position. One good thing about it, at least they have a lot of similarities. He might not get knocked out in mini camp like last year. Remember Mario you must keep your hands up like a boxer. Lead with your hands and not with your face

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you are now Panther prey!

Professor

The difference is the level of talent he will face, being the RE he will now face the weaker of the two tackles for most teams - covering the blindside - this may allow him to use his speed ala Dwight Freeney to get to the QB, as long as the rest of the line does their job

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