Troy Williamson Official NFL Bio

The NFL's official bio on the Vikings' first selection in the 2005 NFL draft, Troy Williamson.

Troy Williamson
Position: Wide Receiver
College: South Carolina
Height: 6-1
Weight: 203
Hometown: Jackson, S.C.


OVERVIEW
A gifted receiver who possesses outstanding speed, Williamson developed into the Gamecocks' big-play artist as a junior. A proven deep threat, he also proved capable of carrying the ball out of the backfield in addition to excelling on special teams as a kickoff returner and gunner on the coverage units.

Williamson was a PrepStar All-American and rated the fifth-best wide receiver prospect in the Atlantic Region by that scouting service as a senior at Silver Bluff High School. He was a Mr. Football finalist in the state of South Carolina and led the team to back-to-back state championships as the squad rolled up 30 straight victories. He caught 21 passes for 500 yards and rushed for 890 yards as a senior. Williamson also excelled in track, twice winning the state titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Williamson played in every game, starting five contests as a true freshman. He caught 17 passes for 491 yards (28.9 avg.) and four touchdowns while adding 47 yards on three carries (15.7 avg.) and 74 yards on three kickoff returns (24.7 avg.). In 2003, Williamson started 10 games at split end. He hauled in 31 passes for 428 yards (13.8 avg.) and two touchdowns, including a school- and Southeastern Conference-record 99-yarder. He also handled the bulk of the team's kickoff return duties, gaining 268 yards on 14 attempts (19.1 avg.).

As a junior, Williamson accounted for a career-high 835 yards on 43 receptions with seven touchdowns. He also had seven kickoff returns for 105 yards (15.0 avg.) and 30 yards on four carries (7.5 avg.). He closed out his career with 91 receptions for 1,754 yards (19.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns in 34 games. His 1,754 yards rank seventh on the school's all-time record list. Williamson also gained 101 yards on 12 carries (8.4 avg.), 447 yards on 24 kickoff returns (18.6 avg.) and recorded four solo tackles on special teams.

ANALYSIS
Positives: Tall, long-limbed athlete with a good frame that can carry additional weight … Has long, toned arms, good bubble and very good flexibility and knee bend … Hard worker, the type that will fight for the ball … Shows suddenness and acceleration getting into his routes and has the size and strength to bust through the jam … Can drop his weight and accelerate out of his breaks … Shows very good double-cut ability … Can find the soft spot in the zone and adjust readily to man coverage … Does a good job of finding the sideline and adjusting to keep his feet in bounds … Has the quickness to come back for the ball … Has a smooth open-field stride and that second gear needed to race past defenders after the catch … Has the flexibility and body control to adjust to the ball in the air … Gets good hand placement and moves well to either his left or right … Gets in and out of his breaks with some fluidness and uses his size to his advantage in jump-ball situations.

Negatives: Will position block to seal off, but lacks aggression and is not the type who will use his strength to shock and control the defender … Has very good speed, but is a bit of a long strider rather than a receiver that has short quick feet … Not as quick in short routes as the smaller receivers and is best when having space to operate … Has adequate hands, but struggles to adjust to the over-the-shoulder tosses … Can come back for the ball, but does not show great stop-and-go action (momentum sometimes takes him out of the play, as he overruns the ball) … Sometimes takes soft angles, especially on upfield routes.

INJURY REPORT
2003 -- Left the Mississippi game early in the second quarter with a thigh bruise.

AGILITY
4.38 in the 40-yard dash … 2.61 20-yard dash … 1.6 10-yard dash … 6.99 three-cone drill … 37-inch vertical jump … 33-inch arm length … 9 3/8-inch hands.

HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Silver Bluff (Jackson, S.C.) High School … All-American and rated the fifth-best wide receiver prospect in the Atlantic Region by PrepStar … Mr. Football finalist in the state of South Carolina … Played for back-to-back state high school champions that rolled up 30 straight victories … In Silver Bluff's 21-20 victory over Batesburg-Leesville in the State AA championship game, he ran for 189 yards and had three touchdowns … Finished his senior year with 21 catches for 500 yards and 890 yards rushing … Consensus all-state selection … Named Class AA Player of the Year by The High School Sports Report … Two-time 100 and 200-meter dash state champion in track.

PERSONAL
Hotel Restaurant & Tourism Management major … Born April 30, 1983 … Resides in Jackson, S.C.