Texans rookie Williams buys house from Slade TSU regents may still seek share of profits from sale of ex-leader's home By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Mario Williams, the Houston Texans' much-debated No. 1 draft pick, has purchased a home with its own share of controversy. The newly rich National Football League rookie bought the spacious, Mediterranean-style house from ousted Texas Southern University President Priscilla Slade for about $1.5 million, according to records filed last week. The 6,000-square-foot house near Memorial Park gained notoriety as part of a spending scandal that led to Slade's firing and a criminal investigation. Slade's use of public money to buy more than $260,000 in furniture, landscaping and security equipment for the home violated school policies and state law, attorneys hired by the university's governing board concluded in April. Slade has said she did nothing wrong. TSU has repossessed the furniture Slade bought with $87,000 of the school's money, campus officials said. Williams paid the outstanding $56,000 bill for the security system as part of the sale. TSU regents have discussed seeking reimbursement from Slade from the sale of the house, but have not decided to move forward. Slade, who lived in the house for about six months, received less than her asking price of roughly $1.8 million. The Harris County Appraisal District values the property at more than $1.2 million. The then-vacant lot fronting Memorial Drive was valued at $233,600 when Slade bought it in 2004. Surely, there will be enough room for Williams, a 6-foot-7-inch, 295-pound defensive lineman, to stretch his legs after a game. The two-story house has four bedrooms, a media room, high ceilings and travertine floors, with a pool and spa in the backyard of the 17,675-square-foot property. Williams, like the house's previous owner, must know something about feeling unappreciated. Some Texans fans booed his selection in April after the team chose him over University of Texas quarterback and Houston native Vince Young and University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush. The Texans signed Williams, a North Carolina State University product, for six years and $54 million, with $26.5 million guaranteed over the first two years. Team officials did not make Williams available for an interview, so it's unclear if he knew about the house's history before closing the deal. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4027106.html
I saw the note this morning on the front page of the Chronicle, no less. I was puzzled as to why he would do this, but I couldn't really think about anyone else willing to do this... he's got the money, so why not? Either way it goes, it's HIS. Funny how he paid less than what she wanted. There is a picture of the house on the front page of the Chron, if anyone's interested to see what it looks like. Pretty nice house... i'd hit it.
What's wrong with him buying the house? I think he can afford it. Plus at least he is living in the city limits, not out in the burbs. I love the Memorial Park area. My grandparents used to live two blocks north of the Beer Can House.
where do football players and baseball players live? do most of them live in sugar land? i know for sure one baseball player on the astros lives in the Memorial area. I know most of the basketball players live in Sugar Land or West Houston in Royal Oaks. I know of one basketball player who lives out in Katy. That tall guy.
