MIDLAND, Texas — Former NFL Wide Receiver Roy Williams is no stranger to Ratliff Stadium, known to many as an all-time Permian Panther. Currently, the Odessa-native sits in the visitors section with a new title, "Dad."
"I'm not that "ra ra" dad, but I'm "ra ra" inside. I'm just like, 'Heck yeah!,' and I'm just stone faced cool. I'm the cool dad," Roy Williams said about watching his son play.
The "cool dad" that sits in the stands and cheers on Midland Legacy Tight End Jordan Williams, bringing a unique insight to the play on the gridiron and beyond.
"I mean he see stuff that normal dads or people in the stands can't see, so I can come to him about anything football related or even in life, really," Jordan Williams said.
This father-son duo are on two opposing sides of a storied rivalry between the Panthers and the Rebels, but the bond of blood runs deeper than the battle between maroon and black.
"I'm a Rebel, right? I'm a rebel for another two hundred and something days. Okay? Once my son is done with basketball, I'm done with the Rebels. Right back to Permian," Roy Williams said.
Both programs are known for their legacy of great Texas high school football tradition. One that Roy helped build and the other that Jordan hopes will help him leave his mark.
"Obviously, people ask me if I'll live up to what he did in the NFL. I think I just want to make a name for myself at the end of the day. That's what I want to do," Jordan Williams said.
College is what's next for the senior, a place where his dad had quite the impact at the University of Texas, so the mission still continues following the 2023 season.
"He's a legend in college, obviously. I feel like I can just get there or surpass him some how, some way," Jordan Williams said.
It still comes down to the father-son bond that goes deeper than football and that will last beyond the confines of the 100-yard athletic field.
"I wish him nothing, but success on the football field. What I've tried to teach him is when the game is over because it's going to be over for you at some point. Once that zero hits, now you go to be welcome to the real world," Roy Williams said.