'I want it to be a surpise': Cowboys' Williams speaks to 2.0 him, says 'Big Sam ready'

USA Today

09-03-2025

'I want it to be a surpise': Cowboys' Williams speaks to 2.0 him, says 'Big Sam ready'
Sam Williams. Cowboys fans haven't forgotten the name, even if the draft cottage industry has lost track of his whereabouts over the years. Since being selected in 2022, mentions of Williams have ebbed and flowed for two seasons— whether about underutilization, inconsistency, or flashes of raw pass-rushing brilliance that teased an imminent breakout.
A brutal ACL and MCL tear in the build up to 2024's all-important Year 3 ended those convos. A season of "what could have been" turned into silence as he underwent season-ending surgery and landed on IR. Seven months post-injury though, the silence is breaking.
Questions about Sam Williams' trajectory are back on the table. Will 2025 be the year he levels up, finds consistency, and becomes a real force in the Cowboys' pass rush? The conversations are picking back up because Williams himself is inspiring the talk. 'Big Sam ready.'
And he says it with a grin, one that suggests he knows something others don't yet. He's locked in on recovery, dialed in on his body, and focused on proving that when he gets his shot, he's making it count.
Bigger, Stronger, and Built for Impact
One thing's for sure: Big Sam is getting even bigger. Over the past few months, Williams has been all about body recomposition.
Step one? Drop weight. At one point, Williams slimmed down to 238 pounds, 23 pounds below his scouting combine weight in 2022.
Step two? Bulk back up with precision—packing on muscle, not just mass. Now, he's sitting at 260 pounds with a 15.7% body fat, a number right in the sweet spot for an athletic, explosive defensive player.
No fancy calipers were on hand for measurements, but Williams didn't need them. He made it clear; he's stronger, leaner, and more explosive than before, and he's not done yet. The rehabilitation process is still ongoing and Williams hinted his frame could fill out even more as he continues fine-tuning his strength, size, and explosiveness ahead of camp.
'I've been lifting weights. Squats, deadlifts, upper body stuff, and I've been running,' he said. Simple. Direct. And from the way he said it, effective."
Right now, it's all about strength and conditioning; building a base before shifting into sport-specific movements. But no one should mistake that for a slow approach. Williams is hungry.
'Training camp gon' be lit,' he said, flashing that same confident smile.
And if anyone is wondering just how lit, well, Williams painted a vivid picture of what he expects from himself this summer. But before any of that could be published, he cut it short with a smirk and a simple request:
What we can say? He sees himself as a 'silent killer.' Someone who won't just show up—he'll show out.
The Wild Card: Discipline Under Eberflus
Of course, no conversation about Williams is complete without talking about the elephant in the room: penalties.
The same guy who can fire off at the snap like a missile has also been known to make referees fire off far too many flags. And with Matt Eberflus now calling the shots on defense — a coach known for leading some of the least-penalized units in the league — how exactly does Williams fit?The former Ole Miss product has zero interest in discussing public opinions about his attitude or maturity. Even the boldest journalists might hesitate to print his response to those style questions.
Williams has been talking to coaches to develop the attack plan, he's been putting in the work necessary to execute it, and in 2025, he expects the conversation to center around just one thing: his production.
'Big Sam ready.'