Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams, who spent most of his professional career playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has died, the team announced Tuesday. He was 36.
Williams was seriously injured in a construction accident last week, NBC Sports reported.
The Buccaneers released a statement offering condolences to his family and friends.
“We are saddened to hear of the untimely death of Mike Williams, which has left our organization, his former teammates and fans with heavy hearts. We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy.”
Williams' relatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
His mother, Mary Rosenthal, said her family needed a “Hail Mary” after Williams was taken off a ventilator Friday, WIVB-TV of Buffalo, New York, reported Sunday.
Williams was doing electrical work last month when someone dropped a steel beam on his head, Rosenthal told WIVB. He initially walked away from the accident, but he complained about headaches, and his symptoms worsened.
He was hospitalized days later after having lost feeling in his legs and then developed a staph infection, she told the station. He underwent spinal cord surgery and was put on life support.
“He said if this ever happens to me to pull my plug, because I don’t want to live like that,” Rosenthal told WIVB. “Those are his wishes. When he was a football player, he had already signed the papers.”
Syracuse University also released a statement Tuesday expressing grief.
Williams played three standout seasons for the Orange, for whom he compiled statistics that firmly etched his name in the top 10 of several categories among wide receivers and offensive players, the statement said.
Williams is the program's all-time leader in consecutive games with a touchdown catch, scoring in 10 straight games, the university said.
“We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former Syracuse student-athlete Mike Williams,” athletic director John Wildhack said. “We extend our deepest sympathies to Mike’s family, friends and everyone in the Syracuse football family who knew Mike.”
After his time at Syracuse, the Buccaneers selected Williams in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2010. When injuries sidelined him at Tampa, he was traded in 2014 to the Buffalo Bills, with whom he ended his NFL career.
He finished his career with 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns, according to NBC Sports.
