Before his final game as defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, Gregg Williams stepped before his players and urged them to physically hurt players on the 49ers.
Audio of Williams’ speech to the Saints’ defense was captured by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who is working on a documentary about former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is suffering from ALS. Pamphilon has put part of the audio of the profanity-filled speech on YouTube.
Pamphilon also passed on the audio to Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports because, he said, he was extremely uncomfortable with what Williams said about trying to hurt 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and other players. Williams, who masterminded the Saints’ bounty program, hinted that he would financially reward a Saints player who hurts a 49ers player.
“At one point Williams says, ‘We hit [expletive] Smith right there’ – then he points under his chin [and continues] – ‘remember me.’ Then he rubs his thumb against his index and middle fingers – the cash sign – and says, ‘I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that [expletive] out,’” Pamphilon told Silver.
Williams has long loved the phrase, “Kill the head and the body will die,” and he used that phrase in talking to his players. He also specifically told them to go for the head of 49ers running back Frank Gore…
Gregg Williams has already been indefinitely suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. This audio may make it difficult for Williams ever to get reinstated. This is the smoking gun that makes crystal clear that Williams wanted his players not just to play tough, physical defense, but to injure their opponents.
Do you think that the NFL is getting too strict when it comes to rules, suspensions, and fines??
Hit the flip to hear the speech in its’ entirety.
