After being hurt in a construction accident and falling into a coma two weeks ago, former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams died Tuesday at 36.
According to CNN, Williams’ agent, Hadley Engelhard, said Williams was taken off life support and died Tuesday.
“He will be missed. He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family,” Engelhard said. Williams had been hospitalized after he was severely injured while performing electrical work.
His former NFL team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sent a message of condolence on its social media page.
“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.”
Rest in Peace, Mike Williams ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/6ppABCvTJk
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 12, 2023
WIVB reported over the weekend that Williams’ mother, Mary Rosenthal, said that her son needed a “Hail Mary” after he was taken off the ventilator on Friday.
“He said, if this ever happens to me, to pull my plug because I don’t want to live like that,” Rosenthal said. “Those are his wishes. When he was a football player, he had already signed the papers.”
The news comes after it was erroneously reported that Williams had already died when he was actually on life support.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that the former wide receiver suffered severe head and spinal cord injuries and paralysis in his arm and lower body hen a steel beam accidentally fell on Williams’ head at a construction site on Sept. 1. Williams never regained consciousness.
The former NFL star played high school football at Riverside Institute of Technology. After graduating, he attended and played three seasons as a wide receiver for Syracuse University before entering the NFL Draft in 2010. He had some impressive numbers for the school, where he finished ninth in career receptions (133), eighth in receiving yards (2,044), and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (20).
A fourth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams played with the Bucs for four seasons. He was traded to his hometown team, the Buffalo Bills. He played in six games that season and caught 22 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
In his NFL career, Williams played 63 games, starting in 52, while recording 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns.