UPDATE (6:47 pm ET): Tierney Lyle, mother of Mike Williams‘ daughter, has told the Tampa Bay Times that the family is now weighing options in regards to Williams’ fate.
The former Bucs, Bills and Chiefs receiver is currently on life support in a Florida hospital. Lyle stated her former partner was “mostly non-responsive.”
“He was asleep when we went in there and he woke up when he heard our voices and his daughter’s voice,” she said. “He looked around, and he blinked and he was crying but he can’t move, she concluded, stating the likely outcome will be to take Williams off of life support.
On Tuesday, a report stated that Mike Williams had passed away
Tragic news broke on Tuesday evening with the alleged passing of Mike Williams, retired NFL wide receiver and Buffalo, NY, native. The former football standout was only 36-years-old.
Buffalo Bills beat reporter Jon Scott was the first to report the sad news. According to Scott, Williams passed away “following injuries suffered during an accident while working at a construction site“. It’s now known that he suffered the impact of a steal beam to his head on Friday, September 1st.
The former receiver has cut ties with the NFL in 2016, having since moved onto other ventures.
Mike Williams: details of the construction site accident that took his life
A GoFundMe page set up by Wendell Muhammad, Mike Williams’ father, details the tragic events that led to the former NFL player’s death. He revealed his son lost consciousness from the injuries suffered on Friday.
“I come in peace and prayer and I’m seeking support to help me to help my first born son. I am the father of Mike Williams, former NFL player. My son played in the NFL from 2010 to 2014 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his hometown team, the Buffalo Bills. Mike Williams recently had a major accident at work. A steal beam fell on his head causing a massive head injury. As a result of this accident, there was swelling on his brain and swelling on his spinal cord that was ruptured. These injuries resulted in complete paralysis in his right arm as well as his lower body from the waist down.”
“On Friday, Sept 1, 2023 around 9pm Mike Williams passed out. According to doctors, he suffered from severe breathing problems and had to be rushed to ICU. This time the doctors found that his diaphragm was pressing on his lungs and subsequently caused complications with his breathing. They reported that his lungs were filled with water. The doctors were able to free the diaphragm from pressing on his lungs, removing the water and allowing him to breathe a little better. Sadly, my son Mike Williams never gained consciousness. He never woke up from the night of Sept 1, 2023”
A six year career in the NFL and a ‘dream move’ to the Bills
Not to be confused with the active LA Chargers receiver with whom she shared a name, Mike Williams was a memorable player in the league who heaped praise from former coaches and teammates alike.
Mike Williams scored 20 touchdowns during his Syracuse years, where he holds the second most for a receiver in school history.
A former Syracuse University standout, Williams’ 20 TDs are tied for the second-most in school history, along with Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. His feats earned him being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010 (fourth round – 101st overall).
Williams set a franchise record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010
Mike Williams was a record-setting receiver during his time in Tampa, with 11 touchdown catches as a rookie in 2010. It took Mike Evans to come along in order for that record to be broken, but the feat had never been accomplished till then in franchise history.
After four seasons with the Bucs, Williams was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a sixth round pick. The WR was ecstatic at the prospect of playing for the team he grew up cheering for. Sadly, things didn’t work out for him there. Then, after short stint on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad, Mike Williams called it quits on his NFL dream having earned close to $12 million in career earnings. He had a total of 223 receptions for 3089 yards and 26 TDs during his professional football career.
