Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Former Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams is on life support at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, following an injury sustained at work on Sept. 1, according to an article from the Tampa Bay Times.

According to a GoFundMe set up by Latrina Moore, a steel beam fell on Williams at the construction site he was working at in Tampa, and he was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit after passing out. It was previously reported that Williams had died, but Michael Schwartz from 7 News WKBW in Buffalo said that Williams’ agent confirmed the former receiver had not passed away. A close friend of Williams’ told Nick Veronica of News 4 Buffalo that Williams had been placed in a medically induced coma.

After playing for the Orange from 2006-09, Williams, a Buffalo native, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Williams went on to play five seasons in the NFL, including one with the Buffalo Bills, and finished his career in 2016 after being waived by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 prior to the season.

Williams led the Buccaneers as a rookie with 65 receptions and 964 yards, adding 11 touchdowns. He finished second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting that season. The receiver was suspended from the season for breaking curfew multiple times in 2009 by then-head coach Doug Marrone and ended up leaving the team midway through the season, stating that “it was time for them to move on and time for me to move on.”

He began working with former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford at the Athletes’ Performance Institute in Pensacola, Florida, charting his own path to the NFL while scouts watched as he moved to Thurman Thomas Sports Training in Buffalo to complete his pre-draft preparation.

This is a developing story.

Published on September 6, 2023 at 6:41 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt