A first class seat — at 6-feet-6 he needs the leg room — can be had for a couple grand on Continental Airlines.
With the money he makes — about $13 million this season alone — he can certainly afford it. But Mario Williams shouldn’t have to pay for this particular vacation.
When Williams powered through Erik Pears to sack Jay Cutler midway through the first quarter — the fourth time he had been involved in a sack of the Denver quarterback — he got up and did his best hula dance.
Save it for February, young man. You might get to go to Hawaii.
As amazing as it now sounds, particularly after his play was in the gutter during much of his first season and a half in the NFL, the Texans second-year defensive end looks like a Pro Bowler.
There have been times that he looked like a pro bowler playing defensive end, but not lately. The crowd at Reliant Stadium now chants, “Mario! Mario! Mario!”
With his NFL peers watching on the NFL Network, the much-maligned No. 1 draft pick, whose biggest problem in the NFL has been that his name isn’t Reggie or Vince, had 3 1/2 sacks Thursday night to help the Texans claim a 31-13 win over Denver.
Houston improved to 7-7 — the first time it has been at .500 this late in the season — matching the most wins the franchise had had in a season with two games yet to play.
Williams was such a difference-maker .
“That’s what I was drafted for,” he said. “I have to be accountable to this team and this organization to help us go out and win games.”
The pressure Williams felt a year ago to live up to that No. 1 pick played a part in his so-so rookie campaign. The pressure he felt every time he put his right foot on the ground because of a painful bout with plantar fasciitis played an even bigger role.
What hasn’t been talked about as much is the learning curve that all rookies face, one that took Williams somewhat by surprise.
This year he has hit the film room, studying opposing offenses and offensive linemen, and applying what he has learned on game days.
One of the excuses the Texans gave last year for Williams’ poor play was his confusion at being moved around so much. Well, they’re moving him around the defense now, looking to create mismatches, particularly on the weak side. He’s even lining up inside at times.
He’s all over the place, just as they envisioned he would be when they drafted him ahead of Vince Young.
Williams has become so studious that each week defensive coordinator Richard Smith asks him to list his top five defensive calls for the upcoming game. Williams’ Hawaii Five-O if you will.
The exercise isn’t a test to see if Williams is paying attention.
“He’s calling ’em,” Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. “I’d call ’em too.”
Thursday night, all of Williams sacks came on defensive plays that he told Smith he would like to see against Denver.
Super Mario has nine sacks in his past five games and 13 this season, the second-most in the league. (Seattle’s Patrick Kerney has 13 1/2.)
In just 30 games, Williams now holds the Texans all-time sacks record.
Go ahead, wax nostalgic if you like. Remember back in the good ol’ day when Kailee Wong and the vaunted Texans defense used to pressure quarterbacks to no end?
Stop laughing. These are the good ol’ days for the Texans.
These are only the start of the good ol’ days for Mario Williams.
If he has his way, Williams said he would want the Texans to play games in January before he heads to the Pro Bowl.
Yes, he’s talking playoffs. The odds of that happening are indeed long. Just as the odds of us talking Pro Bowl for Williams were pretty long a month ago.
While it might be a little too early to start bringing his seatback and tray table to their full upright and locked positions, Williams has done enough to earn that trip to Hawaii.
Jerome Solomon is a
sports columnist for the
Houston Chronicle
Williams a real force
Mario Williams, the No. 1 pick in
the 2006 NFL draft, has excelled
in his sophomore season. A look
at the rest of the top five:
1. Mario Williams, Texans, DE
Had 3 1/2 sacks Thursday to extend
sack streak to five straight games
2. Reggie Bush, Saints, RB
Four touchdowns, eight fumbles
this season
3. Vince Young, Titans, QB
Has thrown 2,032 yards this season
4. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Jets, OT
Hasn’t played a down this season
5. A.J. Hawk, Packers, OLB
88 tackles for surging Packers
