Lions had no offseason lifting program - Roy Williams work ethic angle

by cowboy78 on Jun 22, 2009 9:36 AM CDT

The column is from nflfanhaus, the link is below. The basic premise is that the lions never had a weight conditioning program during the offseason. A source who is listed as an acquaintance to RW said that he never lifted during the offseason.

The article is defintely news during one of the slowest periods in the sports calendar, couple that with the fact that it is the cowboys, and the last one would be that this feeds the TO/RW connection that is going to be driven like a tent stake, mercilessly into the ground even after the season starts. Read the article and see what you make of it, it will most likely be one of three camps: RW is not going to work out and this is a sign of that, he was in detroit which is a den of FAIL so this is the result, and now that he is in dallas he knows that this is his chance to prove how good he really is. I am sure there are other thoughts that this article may spark but those are probably the main three. I will say that sofar this offseason he has taken the right approach in getting in his work with TR a full month before the OTA's and mini camp started. I do believe he is taking this opportunity seriously, that he has a lot of pride to show what he can do. I wonder how much being in Det affected his attitude, because if this story is true then he was not given a disciplined structure to develop behind.

I will make the point that the article utilizes a source listed as an aquaintance, so he could be the janitor for all we know. RW weighed 220 lbs in 08 and is trying to get back down to 212; I have no idea if 8 lbs is a lot of weight for a WR to have, or if that weight was an indication of a lack of conditioning. Personally, I am going to give RW a pass for his past from Det and focus on what he is doing in this offseason with dallas and hope that he can be a very productive WR and build a strong connection with Romo.

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/06/22/mmqb-williams-didnt-lift-as-a-lion/

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Comments

Im kind of excited by this from the stand point it should make a noticable improvement in his game..

I also think many injuries are avoided by time spent in the weight room. Is it any wonder that he has broke down late in most of his career. The fact he played so poorly last year seems to have lit a fire under his ass. He cant blame his game on the lions next year. He has to be accountable. The early returns look promising.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the goverment from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

by squidlo97 on Jun 22, 2009 11:23 AM CDT reply actions

I feel that what we see now is him taking things seriously because

he knows that the microscope will be on him if he struggles, the same will go for the other WR, they no longer have TO to be there for the big play; but the spotlight will shine the brightest on RW. RW current actions are in stark contrast to the “reported” past he had in Det so it shows that he must be motivated if the report is accurate.

Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!

by cowboy78 on Jun 22, 2009 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions

Me too.I think he could have his best season yet.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the goverment from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

by squidlo97 on Jun 22, 2009 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions

I just find it really hard to believe...

..that there was not an offseason conditioning program. Hell, even most middle schools run them.. lol

Hooah.

by .FRoST.USAF on Jun 23, 2009 2:21 AM CDT reply actions

You do realize you're talking about the Lions, right?

by mhuff13 on Jun 23, 2009 2:34 PM CDT up reply actions

imagine being a lions fan and hearing that

It is bad enough that you live in Detroit

Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey

by Seanrude on Jun 24, 2009 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions

8 Pounds...

For out of shape guys (like me) 8 pounds means nothing. I can (literally) lose 8 pounds in a day if I try hard, but that’s water weight which, as I said, means nothing.

8 pounds for a guy at 6 or 7 percent body fat like an NFL wideout is a big deal. I was a wrestler in HS and now coach wrestling, so I kind of understand that it’s a ratio thing.

For a 350 pound lineman, 8 pounds is 2.2% of his bodyweight.
for a 212 pound receiver its about 3.75%. Over half again as much.

On more example. When I was in HS wrestling I usually weighed around 170 during the season, and would suck down to 160 on match days. During an intense practice, I could lose 3 to 4 pounds. I was at like 18% bodyfat
My best friend wrestled 125 pounds, and was at about 8% body fat. In the same intense practice, he would generally lose about 0.8 pounds.

Roy is probably in the 6-8 % range when he’s in game shape….so 8 pounds less is a significant (though maybe not huge) difference.

Jerry: George is dating a convict.
Kramer: Really? What's she in for?
George: Embezzlement.
Kramer: (Seriously) Sounds like a nice girl!

by HEpennypacker on Jun 23, 2009 7:26 AM CDT reply actions

I don't care about the past too much...

But if he could post 80 catches, and 1300 yards without lifting weights and Joey Harrington at QB it’s pretty scary what he could do here with a great off-season program.

He knows people are all over him and I’ve said all along that’s what everyone needs…I think some of Roy’s work ethic issues were legit, Detroit and the losing environment with no veterans didn’t help. I don’t necessarily like a player who isn’t motivated to always be the best he can be, but like I said as long as he’s putting in the work here I’m all for it.

I don’t think expecting a career year for Roy is expecting too much, losing weight, working with a weight vest on, putting in extra work with Romo, being a leader, and he’ll get targets like a #1 WR should, he just needs to stay healthy for the entire season and I expect another year of 80/1300/11 from him.

by LonghornsLegend on Jun 23, 2009 2:33 PM CDT reply actions

I think expecting a career year from him IS too much, as far as stats go

But not because of him. There’s going to be too many options in this offense for him to put up big numbers. I’ll say maybe 65-70 catches, 1000ish yards, 8-10 TD.

Plus, I really hope to get a heavy, heavy dose of the running game all year. Roy doesn’t need to lead the league in any stat to be successful. He just has to take advantage of the situations where our running game dictates that he gets single coverage.

by mhuff13 on Jun 23, 2009 2:37 PM CDT up reply actions

Too many options?

We don’t even have a solid option at the #2 WR spot right now…Our offense is going to be a passing offense still, and while Witten will be the #1 target Roy will be #2 and when you think about how many targets TO got, almost all of those will be going Roy’s way.

If he’s getting the ball he’ll produce I have no doubt, I’m more concerned with the little things, like when we need a big play will he be the guy who steps up and makes it? Will he turn into the go to guy when we need a huge play like TO was? I think double digit TD’s is pretty attainable along with 1200 yards just because he’ll be getting the ball enough to reach those goals.

by LonghornsLegend on Jun 25, 2009 12:50 AM CDT up reply actions

8 lbs is a significant change... a good one

It will help in his endurance and mitigate the general wear and tear on the body. If he can keep it off for the season it will help with his longevity and overall strength.
8 lbs is a lot if you don’t have to carry it all year.

by rotovibe on Jun 23, 2009 5:17 PM CDT reply actions