Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams hasn’t made a positive first impression on head coach Lovie Smith.
Williams faces trespassing and criminal mischief charges after an incident in December and Rick Stroud and Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times report that Williams’ house in Tampa was a frequent source of 911 calls because of loud parties. That was settled when Williams agreed to pay more than $43,000 in damages and acknowledged that he “continuously refused to abide by the terms” of his lease.
There was a lawsuit filed in December because Williams hadn’t paid, but the report indicates that it has been amended to include a “notice of confidential rule” that likely means a settlement has been reached. Stroud and Auman also report that Williams has picked up 16 traffic citations since 2010, including a DUI charge that was later dropped.
Smith said Thursday that he’s not happy about what Williams has been up to.
“There’s a pattern here and it’s disturbing. No one is bigger than this football team. He has to understand that,” Smith said. “Have I been disappointed in Mike Williams? Of course. There’s a standard. We’re just not going to put up with it, no matter who it is. You have to be good on the field and off the field. Simple as that. And if you’re not doing what you need to do one or the other, you have problems and that’s where Mike has to take care of a few things.”
Williams missed the final 10 games of last season with a hamstring injury and signed a six-year, $40.25 million contract during the summer. There’s guaranteed money left on the deal, but Smith’s words suggest it’s far from a guarantee that Williams sees the rest of it.