Williams has pictures of his two sons, Sam Jr. and Syxx, in his training camp room. Every day, he looks at them before bed and when he wakes up. On most days, including the first day of training camp practices, he’ll pull out his phone, go to his notes app and read a letter he wrote to them both a long time ago.

Keep that intensity, but do it in pads.” It’s something All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott has noted as well mentally, along with the growth of Williams over the past year, particularly when the two were both relegated to injured reserve as the 2024 season concluded — Prescott having suffered a torn hamstring in November.