Former Ole Miss EDGE Sam Williams is ready to make up for lost time in his fourth NFL season.
Williams missed all of 2024 after an ACL injury. However, as a rookie, Williams totaled four sacks, 22 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and nine QB hits in 15 games. He had 4.5 sacks and 26 combined tackles in 2023.
Williams, now healthy, could be in store for a major role for the Cowboys in 2025-26.
“Sam, based on what he’s had to go through, and the excitement for that first day in pads, you literally might see him foaming at the mouth,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “He’s going to be so excited to be out there when we put the pads on.”
“I feel great,” Williams told local reporters following the team’s second practice of preseason camp in Oxnard, California. “I had a little incident where I bumped knees with someone. But other than that, I feel great. I don’t feel it. It feels like I never had an injury.”
The Dallas defense a year ago was 31st in the NFL in points allowed. The Cowboys signed veteran defensive end Dante Fowler in free agency and selected Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Six days a week, for 11 months, I put in the work,” Williams said. “I feel great. Fantastic. No aches. No soreness. I’m running, what, 22 mph at 260 [pounds]? That should tell you everything.”
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He led Ole Miss with six sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2019 and also recorded an interception and forced fumble.
Williams was suspended for part of the 2020 campaign but still led the Rebels in sacks again (4). He broke out in his final Ole Miss season. Williams had 12.5 sacks — a school record — and 16 tackles for loss. He forced four fumbles.
Williams was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, as well as first-team All-SEC.
“Super, super proud of Sam,” Cowboys quarterback Dan Prescott said. “Bummed, especially when anybody goes down, but having spent some time with him on the bands throughout the off-season, that’s a guy that’s hungry. Very hungry. That’s a testament to not only who he is but how hard he works and how much he cares for his teammates. I support that guy in every aspect of life, because he does things right.
“He’s going to have a helluva year. He’s healthy, but he’s not content with just being healthy. He wants to make sure he’s better than he was before he got hurt. Going to continue to push him, encourage him any way I can, whether it’s competing against him right now or in the locker room. Super proud of him. He’s getting back to himself, and it’s only the beginning.”
