When the NFL initially announced that it had concluded that the Saints used a system of bounties from 2009 through 2011, former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (now with the Rams) issued an apology. Now that he has been suspended indefinitely (and at least for a year), he has apologized again.
“I’d like to again apologize wholeheartedly to the NFL, Coach Fisher, the entire Rams organization and all football fans for my actions,” Williams said in a release issued by the Rams. “Furthermore, I apologize to the players of the NFL for my involvement as it is not a true reflection of my values as a father or coach, nor is it reflective of the great respect I have for this game and its core principle of sportsmanship. I accept full responsibility for my actions. I highly value the 23 years that I’ve spent in the NFL. I will continue to cooperate fully with the league and its investigation and I will focus my energies on serving as an advocate for both player safety and sportsmanship. I will do everything possible to re-earn the respect of my colleagues, the NFL and its players in hopes of returning to coaching in the future.” (At least he didn’t try to call it a “mistake” this time.)
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said earlier on Wednesday that the team was not aware of the bounty situation in New Orleans when Williams was hired in January. If that’s the case, it’s odd that the Rams haven’t fired him.
Perhaps the Rams eventually will. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Fisher said Wednesday, pointing out that Williams never would have been hired if the team had known about the looming suspension.
If the inconvenience of an upcoming suspension would have been enough to scare the Rams away from hiring Williams, a full and complete appreciation of what he did to merit the suspension should be more than enough to prompt the Rams to fire him.