Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams dead at 36

TAMPA, Fla. — Mike Williams, a former wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills who was injured in a construction accident, died Tuesday, his agent said. He was 36.

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Tierney Lyle, the mother of Williams’ 8-year-old daughter, said that the five-year NFL veteran was removed from a ventilator on Sept. 7, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

“Mike passed away this morning,” Lyle wrote in a text to the newspaper.

Williams’ agent, Hadley Engelhard, said the former player died at St. Joseph’s hospital in Tampa, Florida, according to ESPN.

Williams was injured while performing electrical work, Hadley said.

“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,” the Buccaneers said in a statement. “We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy.”

Williams was injured last month at a construction site in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, the Times reported. The injury left him partially paralyzed, according to the newspaper.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Williams starred in football and basketball at Riverside High School, WIVB-TV reported. He made the All-Western New York team in both sports, according to the television station.

He attended Syracuse University, where he was an all-conference selection in football. He was selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

With Tampa Bay, Williams was an NFL Pepsi Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist, the Times reported. He helped the Buccaneers to a 10-6 record and led the team with 964 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.

He played four seasons in Tampa Bay before he was traded to his hometown, playing for the Bills in 2014. He spent part of the 2016 offseason with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to the Times.

Williams finished his career with 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns in 63 games, ESPN reported.

Williams also had a son, 10-year-old Mike Jr., the Times reported.

He will be missed,” Engelhard said. “He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family.”

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