Untitled Page

Mike Williams News & Rumors

Mike Williams knows he must get better
May 20
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Mike Williams sprang high into the air with his arms extended, snatching a perfectly thrown football with his fingertips that Josh Freeman threaded like a needle between two converging defenders. As Williams' momentum carried him to the back of the end zone, he spun 180 degrees, glanced down and stuck both feet on the ground, just a blade or two of grass inside the back line. It was only the first day of Bucs minicamp, but the acrobatic play was reminiscent of Williams' first career touchdown in 2010. At 6 feet 2, 212 pounds, Williams is a super-sized receiver. But his growth as a player last season, his second, stalled. While Williams matched his rookie production with 65 receptions, his"
Williams learning from new teammate Jackson
May 20
Tampa Tribune
 
"When his once sure hands began to betray him and his confidence started to evaporate last season, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams had virtually no one but then-position coach Eric Yarber to turn to for help. A second-year pro in a corps of wideouts whose elder statesmen was Micheal Spurlock, a seldom-used journeyman with 21 catches over four NFL seasons, Williams was all but left to work out his problems on his own. Not anymore. When Tampa Bay signed seven-year veteran deep threat Vincent Jackson to a five-year, $55.555 million contract on the first day of free agency, they did so as much for his ability to help youngsters like Williams as his speed. And already they are reaping the"
Freeman: Williams must beat coverages
December 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"Buccaneers WR Mike Williams entered Saturday's game needing just five catches to match his total of 65 last season as a rookie. He still needs those five catches to match that total. For the first time, Williams was held without a reception during Tampa Bay's 31-15 loss to the Cowboys. "I think he had two true one-on-ones,'' Bucs QB Josh Freeman said of Williams, who was not even listed as the target for a pass in the official statistics produced by the NFL. "They were playing a lot of quarter and quarter-halves, which is a zone (coverage) where the second safety just double teams Mike, so it was real tough for him to get touches.''"
Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount, Mike Williams haven't improved
December 4
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist Gary Shelton
"By now, you might have expected 20 touchdown passes out of Josh Freeman. You might have settled for eight interceptions. By now, you might have expected 750 yards receiving by Mike Williams. You might have expected seven or eight touchdowns. By now, you might have expected 800 or so yards rushing from LeGarrette Blount. You certainly would have expected him to carry the ball more than 138 times. When it comes to the Bucs, you probably expected more. You probably expected better. You probably expected improvement. For the Bucs, that might be the biggest disappointment of them all. Who, exactly, is getting better on this team? Last year, it seemed as if everyone was improving every game. The"
Williams attracts more attention in Year Two
October 7
Tampa Tribune
 
"Maybe Mike Williams is too young to know any better. The 24-year-old wide receiver of the Buccaneers is quick to reject the selfish antics that notorious wideouts such as Keyshawn Johnson, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco embraced to the media's delight. Call Williams the anti-diva. "I really don't even care about my stats,'' Williams said. "I just want to get wins. If we keep going to 4-1, 5-1 and 6-1, my stats don't matter. As long as someone's doing it, I'm happy.'' After setting a franchise record with 11 touchdown receptions as a rookie last season, Williams has seen his numbers drop off through the first four games. He has 15 catches for 155 yards and one score during Tampa Bay's 3-1"
Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Williams adjusts to life with more double coverage
September 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Mike Williams doesn't need the praise of his opponents to confirm he has built a reputation among NFL defensive coordinators. That fact is obvious each time the Bucs' second-year receiver tries to escape the two defenders that often shadow him. In a weird way, that's a compliment for a receiver. After putting together a record-setting debut season in 2010, with a franchise rookie-record 11 touchdowns, stopping Williams is high on an opponent's list of priorities. The result, on Sunday against the Vikings, was Williams finishing with one catch for minus-4 yards. "When (defenses) go to Cover 2, the corner, instead of dropping down into his zone, he's following me," Williams said. "So, it's"
Buccaneers' Mike Williams gets personal challenge from Raheem Morris
August 24
St. Petersburg Times
 
"When coach Raheem Morris singled out WR Mike Williams for losing individual battles against the Patriots last week, he didn't just do it in the media. Williams said Morris personally challenged him to win his one-on-one matchups after he was bottled up by Patriots CB Devin McCourty. Morris "called the receivers out as a group because he called us the leader of the bus," Williams said. "But he really called me out for real. He told me, '(With) man coverage, we're going to the X. That's where you have to go.' " The 'X' is the split end, the term used for Williams' position in the Bucs' offense. The press coverage used by the Patriots got the better of Tampa Bay's receivers. If teams continue"
Williams gives back to his hometown
July 17
Buffalo News
 
"When Mike Williams considered where to hold his first football camp, there was only one location on his mind. "A lot of people have been trying to get me to do camps a lot of places," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wideout said. "Florida, Miami, Tampa -- a lot of different places. But I told them ... my first camp has to be in Buffalo. That's something I wanted to do." Williams helped coach a group of about 60 kids at Riverside Institute of Technology High School in the sweltering heat on Saturday morning. "It means a lot," Williams said of returning to his alma mater. "Coming out here and seeing kids doing the same things that I did, getting more opportunities than I did, it's something I"
Williams guarantees playoffs next season
February 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams had a bold message Thursday for Tampa Bay fans wondering what a 10-6 club can do for an encore. "We're a young team, but we're guaranteeing the playoffs,'' said Williams, who was a finalist for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award, won by Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. "And if we get in the playoffs, we know we can do some damage.'' Williams credits quarterback Josh Freeman for much of his production as the fourth-round pick out of Syracuse caught 11 touchdown passes, easily setting a franchise record for rookies. "I knew I could be successful, but not like this,'' Williams said at the Super Bowl media headquarters. "I knew I could be a help"
Blount, Williams named to PFW rookie team
January 18
Tampa Tribune
 
"The honors keep coming for running back LeGarrette Blount and wide receiver Mike Williams, both of whom were named Monday to Pro Football Weekly's 2010 NFL All Rookie team. Blount and Williams became the first rookies from the same team to lead their class in rushing and receiving yards respectively since Paul Robinson and Bob Trumpy did it for the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. Blount and Williams were recently named to The Sporting News All-Rookie team, which was decided by a vote of NFL players, coaches and executives. The PFW team is voted on by members of the Pro Football Writers of America."
DUI charge against Bucs' Mike Williams dropped
January 15
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Two days after his arrest on a charge of driving under the influence in November, Bucs rookie receiver Mike Williams was allowed to travel with the team to San Francisco, where he caught a touchdown pass in a win over the 49ers. Coach Raheem Morris said Williams made a bad decision to drink and drive, but he didn't break the law. Friday, the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office agreed, saying it will not prosecute Williams. Williams declined to comment. His attorney, Andrew Shein, said his client was never concerned about the outcome. "He had nothing to hide, and he was not worried when the state of Florida was taking his urine because he knew there was nothing in there illegal," Shein"
Bucs' Mike Williams will not be charged with DUI
January 14
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Hillsborough County State Attorney's office will not to pursue a charge of driving under the influence against Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Williams based on the results of his urine test. Williams' urine test results came back clean, Hillsborough County state attorney's office spokesman Mark Cox said Friday. Williams was arrested at U.S. 301 and Causeway Boulevard in east Hillsborough County at 2:48 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2010, on suspicion of driving under the influence. His blood alcohol level was below the level at which a motorist is considered too intoxicated to drive. "We just got the results back from the urine analysis and that was all clean, so (we made the decision) based on"
Mike Williams among five finalists for 2010 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year
January 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Mike Williams was passed over in the NFL draft until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected the Syracuse receiver in the fourth round. His rookie season proved he has first-round talent. Williams is among the five finalists for the 2010 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He joins a list of players that includes four first-round draft picks -- Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, Browns cornerback Joe Haden, Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty and Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Williams led all rookie receivers in receptions (65), yards (964) and touchdowns (11), a club record for the most receiving TDs. He also became the first rookie since Randy Moss in 1998 to have double-digit touchdown catches."
Bucs' Blount, Williams two of a kind
December 30
Tampa Tribune
 
"Ask receiver Mike Williams who the NFL's offensive rookie of the year should be and he'll tell you running back LeGarrette Blount. Ask Blount who deserves the award and he'll tell you Williams. Maybe they're both right. Though Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford likely is the favorite, the Buccaneers' standout rookies are on pace to do something that hasn't been done since 1968, long before either was born. That was the most recent time players from the same team finished a season leading all rookies in rushing and receiving yards, and the two who did it back then weren't even in the NFL. At least not technically. When Paul Robinson and Bob Trumpy led all rookies in rushing and receiving"
Despite great season, Bucs' rookies have higher goals
December 27
Tampa Tribune
 
"Buccaneers rookies LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams still believe they have something to prove after Sunday's 38-15 victory against Seattle. It does not matter to Williams that he set a rookie franchise record by adding his 10th touchdown reception this season. Blount has a chance to become the first rookie to rush for more than 1,000 yards since Cadillac Williams in 2005, but jumps over "arrival" talk like opposing tacklers. Blount and Williams might be rookie sensations, but in their minds, they have not accomplished enough. "We're just determined," Blount said. "We're young guys, and we're determined to make ourselves known in this league, make a name for ourselves. With him being a"
Receiver Mike Williams returns to hometown Tampa as Seattle Seahawks' leading receiver
December 24
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Despite all the judgmental volleys lobbed at Seahawks receiver Mike Williams during the most unfulfilled years of his once-promising career, few managed to leave permanent scars. When he packed on 50 pounds and people called him fat, he got over it. He could live with being considered a disappointment. He even handled being labeled as lazy. But one thing, to this day, still stings. "The only thing that would bother me is when people said I didn't care about football," said Williams, amid a comeback campaign that brings him to his native Tampa for a game against the Bucs on Sunday. The Plant High graduate says he always has cared deeply about the game. "I've been playing football for 21"
NFL looking into Bucs WR Mike Williams' independent test
November 25
Tampa Tribune
 
"The National Football League is looking into an independent drug test taken by Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams after his arrest Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence. "All drug testing of players is governed by the league's policies and clubs are not authorized to require or facilitate testing outside of the provisions of those policies," said Greg Aiello, the NFL's Senior Vice President of Public Relations. "The matter is under review." Team officials declined to comment Wednesday. Williams was arrested at 2:48 a.m. Friday at U.S. 301 and Causeway Boulevard in east Hillsborough County. Tests showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.065 and 0.061, below the 0.08"
Mike Williams gave Tampa Bay Buccaneers results of urine test after DUI charge
November 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Rookie WR Mike Williams, charged early Friday with driving under the influence, voluntarily gave the Bucs organization the results of a urine test taken with an independent agency only hours later to help prove his innocence. Williams, who was charged after failing a field sobriety test with a blood-alcohol level below the limit of 0.08 at which the state presumes impairment, offered to take an optional urine test with law enforcement officials. Coach Raheem Morris said Monday that he also went through an independent agency to show the team the results by Friday morning. "We're very pleased with the results that we got," Morris said. "We're confident that he's completely clean, and we'll"
Mike Williams grateful for team's support
November 22
Tampa Tribune
 
"Grateful that the Buccaneers closed ranks behind him, Tampa Bay rookie wide receiver Mike Williams admitted he made a mistake in the wee hours Friday morning. Williams was arrested at 2:48 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence after he was stopped in east Hillsborough County. Coach Raheem Morris indicated the fourth-round pick out of Syracuse would be disciplined internally, but Williams was one of six Tampa Bay rookies who started in Sunday's 21-0 triumph against the 49ers. "I've been with my teammates and I've had a lot of support,'' Williams said after catching three passes for 54 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown that extended Tampa Bay's lead to 14-0. "I know the mistake I"
Regardless of the consequences, Mike Williams showed poor judgment
November 20
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist Gary Shelton
"The damage, it appears, will not cost him his freedom. The damage, for now, will not cost him playing time. Most important, the damage, this time, did not cost anyone a life. For Mike Williams - drinker, driver - the primary damage appears to be to a reputation he has worked very hard to reconstruct. And as costly as that may turn out to be, Williams needs to think about how much greater the price might have been. Granted, Williams' blood-alcohol level when he was arrested at 2:48 a.m. Friday morning by a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy was below the level of legal intoxication. Because of that, it's pretty hard to argue that the Bucs have any sort of moral imperative to keep him out"
Bucs' Mike Williams will play Sunday despite DUI arrest
November 20
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Mike Williams, the team's leading receiver this season, was arrested early today on charges of driving under the influence. Deputies arrested Williams at U.S. 301 and Causeway Boulevard in east Hillsborough County at 2:48 a.m. He was charged even though his blood alcohol level was lower than the level at which a motorist is considered too intoxicated to drive. Williams was released from Orient Road Jail at 8:04 a.m. after posting $500 bail. Williams will start in Sunday's game at San Francisco, said Bucs coach Raheem Morris, who consulted with the team's captains before making a decision. Williams will be disciplined, Morris said, but his playing time will not"