Former Bucs receiver Mike Williams on life support in Tampa
BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams was placed on life support this week after an accident at work at a Tampa-area hospital, according to people close to the family.
Williams, 36, started a new job as an electrician in the Tampa area about seven months ago, a close friend told WIVB in Buffalo, but suffered a work-related accident on Sept. 1. Williams was initially responsive after the surgery, the friend said, but was placed in a medically-induced coma earlier this week.
Williams played football and basketball for Riverside High School in Buffalo All Western New York teams in both sports. He was selected for all Syracuse football conferences and also served briefly on the Syracuse basketball team. His NFL career spanned five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills.
“He was just one of the hardest working kids I knew,” said Tony Truilizio, Williams’ former football coach at Riverside High School. “In terms of his athleticism, he was the best student-athlete I’ve ever coached. …I’m devastated, I can’t lie to you. I feel sick.
Williams was named to the NFL’s all-rookie team in 2010 and threw 65 passes for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns after being selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the draft.
Williams earned a six-year, $40 million contract extension with the Bucs after scoring 23 touchdowns in his first three seasons. Less than a year later, Williams was traded to the Bills for a sixth-round pick. He was released by his home team after catching eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in 2014. Williams was last on an NFL roster at Chiefs training camp in 2016.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mike Williams (19) leaves the field after warming up before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday September 14, 2014 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert) -
Mike Williams #19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates a touchdown with teammate DJ Ware #28 against the Minnesota Vikings at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on October 25, 2012 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) -
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams #19 charges up with a pass against the New Orleans Saints September 15, 2013 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Saints won 16-14. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) -
Buffalo Bills’ Mike Williams #19 celebrates a touchdown with Buffalo Bills’ Seantrel Henderson #66 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium on August 23, 2014 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) -
Mike Williams #19 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Ralph Wilson Stadium on September 21, 2014 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) -
Mike Williams #19 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ralph Wilson Stadium on August 23, 2014 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) -
Receiver Mike Williams #19 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can’t afford this catch as defensive back Asante defends Samuel #22 of the Atlanta Falcons during the game at Raymond James Stadium November 25, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) -
Syracuse receiver Mike Williams (left) catches a pass while Buffalo’s Domonic Cook defends in the second quarter of a football game in Syracuse, NY on Saturday October 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli) -
Mike Williams of Buffalo Bills walks through a parking lot for the team charter flight to Detroit at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Friday, November 21, 2014, in Cheektowaga, NY. It’s snowing in Buffalo, the Bills are traveling to Detroit to play the NFL’s “home game” against the New York Jets on Monday night, November 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) -
Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Williams #19 catches a pass in front of San Diego Chargers defensive back Quentin Jammer #23 during the game at Raymond James Stadium November 11, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) -
Wide receiver Mike Williams #19 celebrates his touchdown in the first quarter with teammate running back Doug Martin #22 and tight end Luke Stocker #88 against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium September 8, 2013 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images) -
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mike Williams #19 runs for a win in the first quarter against the New York Giants at the 2014 NFL Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium on August 3, 2014 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) -
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mike Williams #19 and wide receiver Sammy Watkins #14 talk before the game against the New York Giants at the 2014 NFL Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium on August 3, 2014 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) -
Mike Williams #19 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ralph Wilson Stadium on August 23, 2014 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) -
Williams’ headshot, taken with the Bills team on June 17, 2014. Bills (AP Photo/File)
Williams played in 29 games over three seasons at Syracuse and caught 133 passes for 2,044 yards and 20 touchdowns, ranking second on the school’s all-time list. He caught a pass in all 28 games he played, the fifth-longest streak in school history. One of four true freshmen playing for the Orange in 2006, clinching 461 yards, the most by a Syracuse freshman since 1990. Williams was a second-team All-Big East selection as a sophomore. His nine-game streak with one touchdown reception was the longest in the country that year.
A high school graduate in 2005, Williams had 970 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, which earned him Harvard Cup Offensive Player of the Year honors and first-team Class AA All-State honors. He was ranked the #10 recruiting candidate in New York by Rivals.com before settling on Syracuse.
On the basketball court, Williams scored 1,468 points for Riverside teams that went unbeaten in Yale Cup play for two full seasons. As a senior, he averaged 26.3 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. During his sophomore year, Williams was on the Syracuse basketball team, playing four games and scoring seven points.
Truilizio said his fondest memory of Williams came during a game against Hutch Tech during his junior year of high school. Williams returned the kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in the second half.
“It was just incredible to see,” said Truilizio.
Bruce Warrick, a friend from Buffalo who played basketball with Williams and attended his games at the Riverside, called him an inspiration.
“Coming from Buffalo, we don’t get much recognition. He put the city on the map that you can take it anywhere,” Warrick said.