Texans' Brock Osweiler: Wendall Williams' speed looks '100 mph'
The blur of rapid-fire movement, cleats firing into the ground like pistons, accelerated past Texans starting quarterback Brock Osweiler as he turned his eyes toward the practice field to marvel at rookie wide receiver Wendall Williams' rare speed.
A former track star at the University of the Cumberlands who registered an unofficial 4.19 in the 40-yard dash for NFL scouts with an official time of 4.32 seconds and a 45-inch vertical leap, Williams is making an impression on the Texas as an undrafted free agent making a bid for a roster spot as a dynamic kick returner.
"He's pretty fast," Osweiler said. "I just kind of turned my head and saw Wendall taking a kickoff return, looked like he was going 100 miles per hour, so he's very special when it comes to his speed."
A 25-year-old former truck driver from upstate New York who once rose at dawn to bring hamburger buns to Five Guys, Williams thrived at the University of the Cumberrlands after a series of brief junior college stints.
Standing on the Texans' practice field, Williams practically has to pinch himself to make sure he's awake and not dreaming.
"I love it," Williams said. "Every time I walk on the field, I feel chills. I was driving a truck, but it made me who I am today. I went through a lot of ups and downs in my life."
In college, Williams buckled down academically after years as an indifferent student growing up in Syracuse, N.Y..
Williams excelled as the NAIA national outdoor champion in the long jump, an All-American in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
He scored 15 touchdowns in 10 games last season, including eight touchdown catches, three rushing touchdowns, three kickoff returns for scores and one punt return for a touchdown.
"Wendall Williams probably gets up to 28 miles per hour on a bad day," Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong said. "I knew he was fast before we practiced. I like to look to see the guys we get on our team and get to know them before I meet them. I saw he ran like a 4.19. When I saw that I was pretty excited to see him."
Is Williams a track star or a true football player?
"He's a football player," Strong said.
Now, Williams is adjusting to the NFL as he tries to a win a job as a reserve wide receiver. Williams has caught the football fairly consistently and is gaining polish as a route-runner.
"It's going good, I love it," Williams said. "I'm trying, man. I want to come out here, compete and be a great teammate. I'm very comfortable back there returning kicks. I'm at home on returns.
"I stay in my playbook, so I can produce more on the offensive side. As a receiver, you want to catch everything, but no one is perfect. I'm just trying to stay focused."