Ex-NFL star Mike Williams ‘still alive and on a ventilator in hospital’ despite reports he had died in a freak construction accident aged 36… and his family ‘weighing options’
- Tuesday night it was reported that Mike Williams had died in a freak accident
- His family says he is alive and on life support at a Tampa hospital
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Former NFL star Mike Williams is ‘still alive and in hospital on a ventilator’ after a freak accident at a construction site – despite local media reports that he had died Tuesday night.
News of the 36-year-old’s tragic death spread quickly after it was reported by local media in Buffalo, but it now appears that this was premature and the ex-recipient is still fighting for his life in the hospital in Tampa, Florida .
The mother of his eight-year-old daughter, Tierney Lyle, spoke to reporters outside St Joseph’s Hospital after visiting him Wednesday, according to a report in the Tampa Bay Times.
She said, ‘They were waiting for me and (his daughter). We’re here and still trying to figure it out.
“He was asleep when we went in there and woke up when he heard our voices and his daughter’s voice. And he looked around, blinked and cried, but he can’t move.’
Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams is reportedly still fighting for his life in the hospital
Williams, pictured at the 2014 Hall of Fame Game, is said to have died after an accident while working on a construction site, but his family says he is still on life support
Williams earned a total of $11.8 million during his five-year NFL career before ending it in 2016
Lyle confirmed that Williams was injured in a construction accident in Hillsborough County last week and revealed that the plan is to take him off life support, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Further details of the accident were revealed on a GoFundMe page reportedly set up by Williams’ father, Wendell Muhammed.
The page — created in an effort to help Williams’ father travel to the hospital in Tampa Bay — claims a steel beam fell on his head, causing severe head injuries.
Williams’ father further explained that the ex-NFL star suffered from swelling in his brain and spinal cord, as well as complete paralysis in his right arm and below his waist.
Williams shakes hands with Bills owner Terry Pegula (right) before a game against the Vikings
Williams makes a catch at Soldier Field during a game against the Bears in September 2014
Before his pro football career, Williams was a college game star with Syracuse, where he played three seasons.
In his NFL career, he made 223 receptions and scored 26 touchdowns with 3,089 receiving yards.
He earned a total of $11,848,250 during his time in the NFL, mostly with the Bucs, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2010 and handed him a four-year contract.
The college star from Syracuse, who played five years in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills, ended his football career in 2016.