"The kid from Odessa, Texas, felt as if he were secluded in a foreign country rather than relocated within the United States.

Bears receiver Roy Williams, then a first-round draft pick of the Lions, envisioned radiant lights and dazzling skyscrapers before landing in Detroit during the spring of 2004. His only exposure to the Midwest had been whenever his Texas Longhorns traveled to agricultural-rich Ames to play Iowa State.

Based on first impressions, Williams wasn't driven to call the Motor City home.

"When I looked out the window,'' Williams said, "I was like, 'What is this?' I'm thinking Detroit was going to be something totally different. I would say I was disappointed. But I didn't know the whole situation. Once I figured out everything and the economy. … I just didn't know, being a guy who lived down south all of his life.''"