Erik Williams’ near-fatal accident saw him become a shadow of himself and slip away from Hall of Fame status

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The Dallas Cowboys have been the home to several NFL legends who have been pioneers and revolutionized the sport, one player could have sat at the same table but a foolish accident put an end to that.

Erik Williams was an instrumental figure in the great Dallas Cowboys dynasty that struck fear into the league.

After Jerry Jones purchased the franchise in 1989, America’s Team won three rings in the next six years.

The San Francisco 49ers stopped the Cowboys from achieving the ‘three-peat’ in 1994 to complete the hatrick of rings.

However, the team bounced back in tremendous style to add 1995 to their successes of ’92 and ’93.

Erik Williams was one of the key components of the Dallas Cowboys super team

Erik Williams was a goliath of a man standing at six-foot-six and weighing 311 lbs in his prime.

Moreover, his skill to protect Troy Aikman and his killer instinct to destroy offensive linemen during his run blocking for Emmitt Smith, is what made him an invaluable asset.

The Cowboys star was one-fifth of the great offensive line consisting of, Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei, Mark Stepnoski, and Kevin Gogan. Collectively, they were dubbed ‘The Great Wall of Dallas’.

However, a foolish decision by Williams after a win on the road in Arizona stopped his Hall of Fame trajectory.

Cowboys expert says the team in the 90s would party heavily on the plan home

In his recent podcast, Cowboys reporter Mike Fisher explained, that back in this era, the team would party hard and celebrate liberally.

After a prolonged period of celebration on the flight home, Williams made the life-changing decision to drive his car.

As reported by Fisher, the Cowboys would often head to the nightclub after victories to continue their rejoice.

Williams decided to drive his car while under the influence hitting the brakes on his career

Unfortunately, Williams’ intoxication led him to crash his car and just about survive a potentially fatal incident.

Furthermore, the Cowboys’ star player suffered a damaged right knee, a broken rib, torn ligaments, and facial lacerations that would require plastic surgery.

He would miss the remainder of the season and the Cowboys would fail to win the Super Bowl. Once he regained his place in 1995, it was noted that his production had significantly dropped.

The franchise would rejoice with their fifth ring and Williams’ third and last.

Williams managed to recover from devastating injuries but was never the same as before

Williams managed to bounce back incredibly from his career-threatening injuries but would feel the wear and tear in the years to come.

As Fisher reported, 11-time Pro Bowler Larry Allen had said, along with many media personalities, that Williams would have been a Hall of Famer.

However, his injuries halted his progress significantly.