Jason Williams of Western Illinois going to Dallas Cowboys

When more than one-third of the NFL’s 32 teams invite you to their house, somebody is doing something right. The final semester as a student-athlete for Western Illinois senior Jason Williams has been filled with ups and downs. And frequent flier miles. By the end of this week, the 6-1, 241-pound linebacker will have visited more teams than any other draft prospect, taken nearly 30 flights and traveled more than 13,000 miles in the last four weeks. That’s a lot of job interviews for a college senior. – from here

And on Day 2 of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Cowboys finally make their first pick, choosing Western Illinois linebacker Jason Williams. Following Williams, they chose Ball State offensive lineman Robert Brewster (6-foot-4, 325 pounds). He played tackle in college but projects to be a guard in the NFL. In the fourth round, the Cowboys snagged Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee. He is the first quarterback drafted by the Cowboys since Quincy Carter in 2001 and just the second since 1991. – from here

Western Illinois linebacker Jason Williams did not have to wait long on Sunday to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.. The Dallas Cowboys chose Williams with the fifth pick of the third round, 69th overall. Williams said earlier this week that while he just wanted to be drafted and play in the NFL, the Cowboys were one of the teams where he felt the most comfortable after going through the interview and workout process with 11 teams leading up to the draft. – from here

This is high praise for an unknown player, but the more film scouts watch on Williams, the more they will notice he has the “it” factor. With patient coaching and in the right system, he could turn into one of the better finds in this draft. He plays with excellent field vision and awareness. Williams demonstrates the instincts to quickly track down the ball. He has the change-of-direction agility and lateral movement to string plays wide and hits ballcarriers with force, driving with his legs to push the opponent back through the rush lane. – from here