Ex-Bucs wide receiver Mike Williams died from rare bacterial sepsis after construction site accident
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams died due to a rare bacterial sepsis after he sustained injuries in a construction accident in August, officials confirmed Thursday.
Williams died Sept. 12 after he was removed from life support in the hospital about three weeks after he sustained a head injury when heavy supplies hit him in the head while he was working at a construction site. He was 36.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office in Florida said Thursday that Williams’ cause of death was “bacterial sepsis with cerebral abscesses and necrotizing lobar pneumonia due to multiple dental caries and retained dental roots,” according to ESPN, which is a rare condition linked to poor dental health that leads to infections. Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease was also listed as a contributing factor.
Williams was working at a construction site in the Tampa, Florida, area in August when he sustained the head injury. He was taken to a hospital, admitted to the ICU and induced into a coma after a laceration on his head became infected. He was eventually transferred into hospice care before his death.
A full autopsy and toxicology report are still pending, but foul play is not suspected.
Williams, an upstate New York native, played at Syracuse and had two great seasons there before he was selected by the Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He had a dominant, four-season run with Tampa Bay, and he recorded a career-high 11 touchdowns and 964 yards in his rookie season.
He signed a five-year extension with the Buccaneers in 2013 but was traded to the Bills the following year after a string of off-field issues. He retired with 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns.
"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 after his death. "We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy."
