Mario Williams didn't know what to expect when Texans owner Bob McNair called him into his office to talk. It was soon after the video of Williams speeding in his Lamborghini surfaced on the Internet, and Williams knew McNair couldn't be happy.
Williams had been in the organization long enough to know McNair holds players to a high standard off the field, but he didn't know how McNair would react when players fell short of those expectations.
"He could have been in there bashing me and pointing fingers, but the way he came at me, showed that he does care," Williams said. "It wasn't one of those things where he was just trying to punish me. He brought me in basically with open arms, and I greatly appreciate that.
"I knew things with me were always under a microscope. But it's just one of those things that bring you back to reality and let's you know you can't even do any little thing now. It wasn't one of those, 'You shouldn't have done that.' It just brought me back down. I'm glad I had that."
Williams needed the offseason as much as anyone on the Texans' roster. It was a time for him to get away from the scrutiny, to heal the plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and, in the end, to gain a little more perspective.
During the team's 19-week hiatus, Williams did almost everything right. He stayed off his foot until it healed. He became one of the most devoted players to the offseason weight-lifting program. And as far as his offseason mistakes -- he learned from them.
"I think part of that is him just (going through) the growing process and becoming a pro," Gary Kubiak said. "He's got to understand that he's got to stay out of those situations. We'll teach him whatever we can teach him. I'm worried about him playing football and being a good kid. He's done that for us, and I expect him to continue to do that."
Kubiak marvels at watching a healthy Williams participate in drills these days. As last season dragged on, Williams was unable to practice but did play through the excruciating pain in his foot.
"It was really gradual," Williams said of the healing process. "It wasn't one day like, 'Oh, my god, I can walk. Alright!' I just completely stayed off of it until I had to do something. And then it was better. It's a big shock now. It's almost like having a new foot."
With his new foot comes a new season and new expectations. Some of Williams' teammates have targeted this season as the one in which he will finally show why the Texans chose him over Vince Young and Reggie Bush.
Williams has entered camp in better shape than a year ago. He is also making strides technique-wise. He is working on improving his footwork and also improving the way his hands work with his feet.
The Texans also have Williams working exclusively at right end. Last year, he often practiced at various positions on the line. The solitary focus -- and the addition of first-round pick Amobi Okoye -- should help Williams improve upon his four and a half-sack rookie season.
"You can't judge a guy by his rookie year," cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "Mario did a lot of great things for us last season. He was very good against the run. Now he just has to get that other part of his game in place.
"I expect big things from Mario, as well as I know the coaches and the rest of his teammates do. We expect Mario to be in many Pro Bowls to come. They took him No. 1 for a reason, and I think he'll show it this season."
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