UPDATE: Syracuse Wide Receiver Mike Williams on Life Support, has Not Passed Away

The former Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout was in an accident on a construction site.

Mike McAllister | Sep 6, 2023

UPDATE: Syracuse Wide Receiver Mike Williams on Life Support, has Not Passed Away /

In this story:

Several reports came out Tuesday evening indicating former Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams had passed away at age 36. However, now there is reporting citing his family and agent that says Williams had not passed but is on life support as a result of a construction site accident. The Tampa Bay Times quoted the mother of Williams’ eight year old daughter, Tierney Lyle.

“He was asleep when we went in there and he woke up when he heard our voices and his daughter’s voice,” Lyle said. “And he looked around, and he blinked and he was crying but he can’t move.”

Jon Scott of Spectrum News in Buffalo’s report was picked up by nearly every major media outlet Tuesday night.

The Tampa Bay Times report Wednesday that Williams is still alive was also confirmed by Michael Schwartz of WKBW in Buffalo, citing Williams’ agent.

Williams, a Buffalo native, was one of the most talented and productive wide receivers in Syracuse football history. Over three seasons, Williams caught 133 passes for 2,044 yards and 20 touchdowns. At one point, he caught a touchdown pass in nine straight games, setting a school record. Williams currently ranks ninth in school history in total receptions, eighth in total yards and is tied for second with Marvin Harrison in touchdown receptions.

His productivity and talent led to a fourth round NFL Draft selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010. Williams played five seasons in the NFL, four with the Bucs and one with the hometown Buffalo Bills. Over those five seasons, he caught 223 passes for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns.

His two best seasons were his rookie year and his third campaign, both with the Bucs. Williams had 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie. Two years later he had 63 catches for 996 yards and nine scores. After signing him to a contract extension, the Bucs traded Williams to the Bills prior to the 2014 season. The Bills would cut Williams prior to week 17 that year. His best game in Buffalo game against the Houston Texans, when Williams had two catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

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Published Sep 6, 2023

MIKE MCALLISTER

Title: Publisher All Syracuse Education: Roberts Wesleyan College Location: Syracuse, New York Expertise: Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting. EXPERIENCE Mike McAllister has been covering Syracuse basketball, football and recruiting for more than a decade. Mike's career started with his own free blog as a way to vent following sporting events. Shortly thereafter, a network of basketball sites called Coast 2 Coast Hoops asked him to run their Syracuse site. That site was called Nation of Orange, and Mike quickly established it as a go-to for Syracuse fans. After running Nation of Orange for several months, a position with the Syracuse site on the Scout network became available. After one year as the recruiting expert with Cuse Nation, he was named the publisher. Mike oversaw the transition from Scout to 247Sports, and ran the site on that network for years. Presented with the opportunity to join one of the biggest names in the sports journalism industry, Sports Illustrated, Mike jumped at the chance. All Syracuse was started from scratch by Mike and the Fan Nation team. It has now become a staple for Orange fans of various sports. Mike has broken news on recruiting, Syracuse basketball and football team information and has established himself as the top recruiting inside in the market. He has appeared on local radio shows, television broadcasts, national radio shows and much more. Mr. McAllister has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Information Management from Roberts Wesleyan College.