The tape of Gregg Williams’ final pre-game speech as a member of the Saints, before their playoff loss to the 49ers, was released to Mike Silver of Yahoo revealing specific exhortations to Saints’ players to target 49ers players, including targeting specific injuries. The tape has earned some very strong reactions from current and former NFL players.
Not surprisingly, some of the strong reactions came from the San Francisco 49ers. Safety Donte Whitner said, “If those things are true, I think it’s really disgusting and something should be done about it to a higher extreme than what is (already set).”
San Francisco backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick said, “You never want to hear anybody talk about your teammates like that, especially people you’re very close to.”
But the reaction wasn’t limited to the 49ers, or to current players. Former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, who played a lot of tough games against the 49ers as the two teams battled for NFL superiority in the 1990s, said he almost threw up listening to the tape. “Since you were a baby you’ve understood never take out a man’s knees and on this tape he’s talking about taking out an ACL.”
49ers wide receiver Kyle Williams’ father is Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams, who was enraged by the comments directed at his son, which suggested targeting head shots to Williams due to his history with concussions. Kenny Williams said, “Personally, suspension or not, it’s probably best I’m never in a room with (Gregg) Williams and wonder if such an order crosses the lines of the aggressive, competitive spirit we all know and love about the sport and leans closer to a criminal act and therefore litigious matter.”
Gregg Williams’ speech was captured by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who is working on a documentary about former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is suffering from ALS. Pamphilon released the tape on Thursday, which is viewable below. Gleason has said that he never intended the tape to be released, and it was released without his permission.
Williams is heard saying, “Kill the head and the body will die.” He specifically told them to target members of the team. “We’ve got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head,” Williams told his players. “We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.”
He also specifically names 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, laying, “We hit [expletive] Smith right there. (While pointing to his chin)” and followed that statement saying, “Remember me, I’ve got the first one. (Williams rubs his fingers together indicating cash payment)… Go lay that [expletive] out.”
Williams also referenced targeting specific injuries. Wide receiver Kyle Williams, who was recovering from a concussion, was called out when he said, “We need to find out in the first two series of the game, the little wide receiver, number 10 [Kyle Williams number], about his concussion. We need to [expletive] put a lick on him right now.”
He also referenced taking shots in a pile of players after the whistle, something that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson accused the Saints of doing earlier in the season. Williams said, “Every single one of you, before you get off the pile, affect the head.”
The NFL elected not to comment on the video released on Thursday. In an email to PFT, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote, “We are not commenting on specific pieces of evidence that we have other than what we have released in our statements.”
Williams has received an indefinite suspension due to his role in the Saints’ pay-for-performance program, and he has not indicated that he is appealing the decision. Williams left the Saints shortly after their season ended and signed as the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams.
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