DALLAS — The backend has been a vulnerability for the Dallas Cowboys since the days of Roy Williams.
Once the NFL outlawed the horse-collar tackle in 2005, Williams' effectiveness as a safety diminished with his last Pro Bowl coming in 2007, and that was because he was an alternate due to the untimely death of Washington's Sean Taylor.
Since then, Dallas has had quality starters from Gerald Sensabaugh, Barry Church, J.J. Wilcox, and Jeff Heath, but they haven’t had a playmaker at the position in quite some time.
That may change in 2021 with third-year safety Donovan Wilson from Texas A&M. The 6-0, 204-pound standout from Shreveport, Louisiana flashed some of his potential in 2020 as he transitioned more from a special teams player to an enforcer in the secondary.
According to special teams coach John Fassel, while spectators may see his 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions as the splash stats that validate his talent, Wilson is just as impactful inside The Star with his work ethic. It is one of the reasons why Wilson is a part of the Cowboys' player leadership council.
"What people don’t see is how willing he is to do whatever it takes to help the team, to be honest with you," Fassel said. "Now, it’s starting at safety, but when we had him on special teams, we put him on all four phases, he started all four phases. He has as much respect as probably anybody on the team — in the locker room, in the meeting room."
Coach Mike McCarthy characterized Wilson as "one of the bright spots" for Dallas' defense in 2020.
"I love the way he plays," McCarthy said. "He's an impact player who has made impact plays for us last year. He's definitely the description of playing aggressive to the ball, taking the ball away. It's what you're looking for in the secondary."
Wilson is working through a sore groin as training camp winds down and the club prepares to close out their preseason slate against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at AT&T Stadium.
Fassel has seen Wilson play through injuries before, and it won't be uncommon if he has to do it when Dallas opens up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9 for Week 1.
"He’s an overcomer," said Fassel. "He’s just one of those guys that you’ve just got to have on your team, and you want to be his teammate."
Do you think Donovan Wilson will be the key to fixing Dallas’ longstanding issues at safety? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.