At Bartram High School, from which he graduated in 1986, Williams was a defensive player; he idolized White, the Eagles' ferocious pass-rusher, who has accumulated 111 sacks in 108 games.
Williams was moved to the offensive side of the ball as a collegian, and he now faces the harsh chore of keeping his former hero from adding to his sack total and pulverizing Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman in the process.
The memory of the first Eagles-Cowboys game a year ago, when Aikman was sacked 11 times, has yet to be forgotten by any lineman in Dallas, but Williams, who was in for only two or three plays in that game, is eagerly awaiting his homecoming contest.
"It's going to be exciting," the soft-spoken Williams said yesterday, before he went out to practice under a clear, cool Texas sky. "I'm looking forward to going back home and seeing friends and family once again. This is a game I feel that can show me where I am right now, as far as talent is concerned, and I'm looking forward to playing against Reggie White. He's a great talent. He's been to six pro bowls. He's everything he is on film and everything everyone says about him."
Williams also will bring a few things to the showdown that should win White's respect. Chief among them are toughness, the mean temperament of a defensive player and nimble feet for a man his size.
"He's nasty," said Tony Wise, the Cowboys' offensive line coach. "He did a lot of that against the Giants. Just throwing his body around. Maybe trying to knee a guy. Trying to slap a guy in the head. Offensive linemen get a bad rap as guys who take punishment all day and then go home. The good ones dish it out, too."
