OXNARD, Calif. 鈥 When asked about Sam Williams early in this year's rendition of 草莓视频下载入口' training camp, head coach Brian Schottenheimer had four potent words that ultimately wound up describing the entirety of Williams' camp: 鈥淭hat guy is hungry.鈥
Starved, apparently, as he returns from a torn ACL suffered last summer on the very field he just ended this year's camp on with an absolute bang. With only one play remaining in the final padded practice in Oxnard, Williams dropped back in coverage and intercepted All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott in the red zone.
He then hit the turbo button and blazed downfield to turn it into a pick-six and, rumor has it, he's still running and will probably beat the team back to Dallas in the next 24 hours.
"I like the physicality, the enthusiasm," said owner and general manager Jerry Jones of the final full-blown practice in Southern California. "Probably the last play we saw 鈥攖hat No. 54, taking that thing to the house and outrunning everybody 鈥 probably is a great way to have ended this practice and certainly of his camp."
The play really could not be more apropos to the context of Williams' injury and return from it, seeing the young pass rusher start last year's camp on a cart and finish this year's camp by tossing a proverbial stick of dynamite on the field.
His journey back has been an exceedingly challenging one, including mentally, having spent months being unable to take the field to help the reeling Cowboys' defense in 2024.
"Six days a week for 11 months, I put in the work," Williams said in late July. "I feel great 鈥 fantastic. No aches. No soreness. I'm running, what, 22 mph at 260 [lbs]? That should tell you everything."
Spoiler: it does.
"Sam is not fragile in terms of mental," Jones said. "But, as Michael Irvin said, when he had an injury, what flashed before him [were] the prospects of not playing again, Michael said it made his career, to appreciate what he might miss.鈥㊣ think Sam has had that same realization, and so he's come back and had an outstanding training camp."
The final play of practice was so contextually poetic that Jones had to wonder if it was orchestrated, and he might've believed the thought if he didn't know the type of competitor he has in Prescott.
That said, there was no way the three-time Pro Bowler was going to intentionally end things with anything other than a touchdown, which is what he was aiming to get.
Williams had other plans, though.
"He's showing leadership out here," said Jones of his former second-round pick.
And his final act in this year's camp was to lead a convoy of defenders right into the end zone.
