Saturday, August 31, 1996

Kevin Williams Rising In Importance
By the Associated Press
(August 31, 1996)

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Dallas Cowboys fan know by now who is NOT going to be in the starting lineup against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. So it's time to focus on who is.

Troy Aikman, for one, likely will be focusing a lot on Kevin Williams.

The suspension-forced absence of Michael Irvin and a back injury to tight end Jay Novacek presses Williams into the No. 1 receiver role.

Williams opened last year as the No. 2 receiver following the free agent departure of Alvin Harper. Just two season ago, Williams was the third receiver - in reality, he was the fourth option because Novacek also came ahead of him.

Williams' rapid rise up the depth chart has been greased a bit by Aikman, who traditionally has been slow to look at receivers other than his favorites.

For example, in the first 12 games of last season, Williams had only 19 receptions for 252 yards.
He then caught 19 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns over the last four games. He added 11 receptions for 185 yards in the playoffs.

"The lack of opportunities that Kevin has had haven't been related to a lack of talent or a lack of confidence in him by me," Aikman said. "He's going to get the ball, and I think he's going to flourish because he has tremendous talent."

Williams proved that with one very memorable catch last season: a sprawling, fingertip grab that went for 11 yards with Dallas facing third-and-10 late in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants.

The drive ended with a game-winning field goal, allowing the Cowboys to snap a two-game losing streak. They didn't lose again en route to their third Super Bowl title in four years.

"I finally felt like I was part of the team and that I was contributing and making plays," Williams said.

Irvin's absence over the first five games of this season could help Williams' wallet. His contract expires after this season, so the better he does, the more dollars he could command.

"I'm not going to lie and say I'm not playing for a contract," Williams said. "But I'm trying not to get caught up in it, because when you do, you start to put too much pressure on yourself."

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