Mike Williams cause of death: How did former Bills WR die?

Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mike Williams has died at the age of 36. It was a devastating construction incident that led to his passing. Reportedly, he was working at a construction site when a beam fell on his head. It caused swelling of the brain and ruptured his spinal cord.

He suffered serious bleeding and his diaphragm was pressing onto his lungs when he arrived at the ICU on Sept. 1, 2023. He was placed in a drug-induced coma but never woke up.

UPDATE: Williams' cause of death has been narrowed down to a rare bacterial sepsis following the injuries he sustained, per the Hillsborough County (Florida) Medical Examiner's Office.

Mike Williams was Buffalo through and through

Mike Williams' death is a devastating blow to the community. Bar a brief period in his NFL career, Buffalo has been his home. He was born in the city and attended Riverside High. From there, he went to play football not too far away at Syracuse.

He was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL Draft and stayed with them until 2013. After that, he returned home to play for the Buffalo Bills in 2014.

It was a tumultuous period for him at the time. He reunited with Doug Marrone, who had also been his coach at Syracuse. However, there was a reported falling out between the two during his college football days, when Mike Williams quit the team after getting in a car accident. While initially both men downplayed the ill will from the previous relationship, things started going south soon after.

There were incidents with wearing socks in violation of league protocol, arriving to the stadium in full pads, going out ahead and revealing his injury status before a game, and asking for a trade move, to name just a few. By the end of 2014, he was released by the Buffalo Bills.

He was suspended for 2015 by the NFL for a reason not officially revealed and was a free agent for the whole year. He then joined the Kansas City Chiefs on their practice squad for the year 2016. That was his last involvement in the NFL.He finished his football career with 223 receptions, 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns.

While not much is known beyond that, as the latest devastating report shows, he was working in construction after his time there. Mike Williams may have achieved more on the football field than your average man, but he will forever be known for his colorful personality and his connection to the city of Buffalo.