FanHouse

Houston Texans defensive end, Mario Williams reveals in a recent Alex Marvez article that when he came into the league, he was overly obsessed with cars: The article suggests that, along with his foot injury, it affected his preparation for going on the field his rookie season:

"I know this is off the subject. But seriously, that's probably the biggest thing I had to overcome - my satisfaction of just having cars."

Famously, in April 2007, an internet video surfaced showing Williams driving his orange Lamborghini at a high rate of speed with a screeching female friend filming part of it. Williams apologized for his lack of judgment, making no excuses or blaming the internet.

The Mario Williams racing video was pulled off the interwebs (though you can still see video of Williams slowing driving his orange Lambo here). Instead of the racing video, above is a YouTube posted at the end of last season that the narrator says is one of Williams' cars. As I am not car obsessed, I have no idea what it is but am curious. A YouTube commenter says it is worth $500,000.

Can anyone tell me what kind of car that is, or how a 6'7" guy can fit into that?

Confessing about your car addiction sounds like a joke, but I guess that can be a problem you face if you love cars and are suddenly given a $54 million dollar contract. Personally, I'd be willing to risk it.

In my life, when bad things have happened to me, I try to figure out ways how I can try to make those bad things turn into being good things. Perhaps the embarrassing internet video was the wakeup call he needed to tell him he should pay more attention to his football career than his love of fine automobiles.

Or maybe his accountant talked to him or something.

I wonder if he obsesses about guns the way he did about cars. This New York Times article from the end of last season compares his love of cars to his love of guns:

Williams said that includes his passion for shooting guns, which, he says, he tries to do "every chance I get."

He said he owns 10 guns, including a .50-caliber Browning machine gun rifle, a Desert Eagle pistol and AR-10 and AR-15 rifles.

Ryan Reichert, the director of security for the Texans, said Williams's guns were legal and that he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Texas.

"I'm from the country, man, I'm big on that," Williams said of his interest in guns.

Williams's mother, Mary, who owns 13 guns herself, 5 of which are handguns, said she first taught her son to shoot when he was 8. She said her son handled guns responsibly.

In the article, his mom realizes the image problems that car and gun collecting have (without mentioning his pitbull ownership) and worries that people might get the wrong impression of her son.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak repeatedly praised Williams preparation and fitness last season, and all reports from the offseason suggest that Williams is in unstoppable shape. Kubiak can never preach enough about how players need to learn to "prepare like a pro," and maybe Williams acknowledging publicly about how his car obsession got out of hand is a way to say that he is understanding priorities better.

The most sports-relevant thing in that article to Texans fans (and their opponents) is Williams talking about the sorts of preparation he is doing. Williams has always had tremendous physical size and abilities, and if he is combining that with learning his craft better and focusing more on football, that could result in some amazing results if he remains healthy.

Okay, so who is going to be the first one to tell me what kind of car that is in the video?

Previously at FanHouse:

Mario Williams Runs Fast, Drives His Lamborghini Slow
Video of Mario Williams Racing His Lamborghini?
Mario Williams on Lamborghini Video: 'It Was Stupid.'
How Shaq Fits into a Lamborghini