Ex-Silver Bluff star catching on with Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- Troy Williamson gave the Jacksonville Jaguars a glimpse of the wide receiver they think he can be during the team's organized team activities this week.

The Aiken County native made an impressive sideline catch Monday and then ran behind two defenders to pull in a touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone Tuesday.

"Troy's done well," coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's done a nice job of competing."

If Williamson keeps making plays like that, the former Silver Bluff High and South Carolina Gamecock can put himself in the mix for a wide receiver job at a position that became more competitive when the Jaguars signed free agent Torry Holt and drafted three rookie wide receivers.

The Jaguars obtained Williamson, the seventh player chosen in the 2005 draft by Minnesota, in a trade last year. Noted for his speed, Williamson caught only 79 passes in three years with the Vikings and gained a reputation for dropping passes.

Williamson was hampered by thigh and groin injuries in his first year with the Jaguars. He appeared in only eight games, started two and caught only five passes.

"I think the key is for Troy to keep himself healthy so that he can have a chance to display his skill and his athleticism," Del Rio said.

The other thing he has to do is catch the ball.

"I make the easy catches always harder than what they're supposed to be and make the hard ones look easy," Williamson acknowledged.

Del Rio doesn't want to dwell on Williamson's past problems.

"Guys have a chance throughout their career to peel some of those labels off if they work at it, and he'll have that opportunity," he said.

Jaguars assistant head coach/tight ends Mike Tice, the Vikings head coach when they drafted Williamson, said the wide receiver still has to show he can catch the ball in traffic.

"I'm not the receiver coach, but I did draft him so I feel I can speak on him. He had a solid rookie season (24 catches), but then for whatever reason, he had some setbacks. He needs to make some contested catches. He needs to take the ball from somebody. Hopefully, that'll happen," Tice said.

Williamson said, "I've got to go out and work hard and catch everything and set myself apart from the other guys."

But he's prepared to move on if he loses the numbers game. "If they think I need to go elsewhere, that's something that has to be done," he said.