Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams has died from injuries sustained in an accident while working on a construction site, according to Jon Scott of Buffalo’s Spectrum News 1.
He is 36 years old.
Williams was a fourth-round pick out of Syracuse by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL draft and played five seasons in the NFL. As a rookie, he led the Buccaneers in receptions with 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. Williams finished second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. In four seasons with Tampa Bay, he caught 215 passes for 2,947 yards and 25 points.
A year after signing a six-year, $40.25 million contract with the Buccaneers, Williams was traded to his parent team, the Buffalo Bills. In his lone season in Buffalo, Williams had eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Before entering his NFL career, Williams played three solid years at Syracuse, rushing for 2,044 yards, 133 receptions and 20 touchdowns.
As a freshman at Syracuse in 2006, Williams had 24 catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games as the team leader. In 2007, as a sophomore, Williams was the only member of the Big East’s second team. After the season, he set a school record with 60 catches for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games.
In June 2008, Williams was suspended for the 2008 season for academic reasons.
On November 3, 2009, Williams left the team due to a possible suspension for violating team rules after a car accident with teammates Antoine Bailey, Andrew Tiller and Torrey Ball. In 2009, before leaving the team, he had an impressive record, including 49 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns in just seven games.
