Doug Williams Key To Bucs Success?
May 11th, 2015
Former Bucs quarterback and front office man Doug Williams is a trusted member of Jameis Winston’s inner circle of advisors.
Former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams has had a rocky love/hate relationship with the franchise that drafted him. It began with mistreatment from the notorious cad, original owner Hugh Culverhouse.
Locked in a contract dispute with Culverhouse, Williams bolted for the USFL, partially because John McKay panicked and sent a first-round draft pick for backup quarterback, the Throwin’ Samoan, Jack Thompson.
That deal imploded the team into despair, the likes of which rarely seen in the NFL. The Bucs quickly sank into over a decade of losing and agony.
When Team Glazer brought in Chucky to (finally) get the Bucs to the promised land, Chucky returned Williams to Tampa Bay in a front office capacity. After Chucky and Bruce Almighty were jettisoned in January 2009, Williams stayed with the Bucs but there was friction between him and former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.
Dominik won the power struggle and Williams left the Bucs (again), this time slamming the door behind him and all but lighting fire to One Buc Palace. It seemed the Bucs and Williams were finished for good.
But no! It seems time has healed some of Williams’ bitterness. In fact, Williams could be a key to a franchise turnaround. Per Jim Corbett of USA Today, Williams is now one of Jameis Winston’s inner circle of trusted advisors.
His and Winston’s paths crossed on the offseason awards circuit, and he said he was struck by the former Heisman Trophy winner’s infectious presence.
“Jameis has got charisma galore,” Williams said. “There’s only two guys I’ve seen at that young age impress like that — Jameis and LeBron James. Jameis is like a young LeBron James. His confidence level is so high he feels there’s nothing he can’t do.
“If Tampa can protect him, the sky’s the limit. He can win multiple Super Bowls.”
Now before any of Joe’s readers go nuts, Joe is pretty sure Williams’ reference of “protect him” means blocking, not hiring round-the-clock security and armed bodyguards.
Another Winston confidante Corbett listed was Vincent Jackson.
Still, Joe likes the fact Williams is inching back toward his original franchise. Maybe this will help pave the way for Williams to enter the Ring of Honor at the Den of Depression? Only time will tell.
It sure seems that Winston is surrounding himself with good people: Williams, Jackson, Derrick Brooks, Charlie Ward.
Joe think it is no stretch to believe Bucs fans’ biggest concern shouldn’t be about Winston, but about the guys blocking for him.
May 11th, 2015 at 5:14 am
the original CAD, he sure was, can still her his voice and see his mug, I remember those days like it was yesterday. My first Bucs game in person was Williams rookie season, the opener vs the Giants, it was a loss. If I remember that year he broke his jaw and played with it wired shut.
Yeah Williams got screwed but not just by Hugh.
May 11th, 2015 at 5:29 am
I meant Culverhouse was the CAD not Williams, also is that not Williams in the 38-0 playoff loss to Dallas in 81?
May 11th, 2015 at 5:59 am
“If we can protect him”, I believe he has at least 2 Super Bowls in him….
May 11th, 2015 at 6:35 am
Doug Williams…..one of two Buc QBs to lose a NFC Championship when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points……..9-0 to the LA Rams at the Sombrero in 1979.
The TBBF was there in the rain…of course.
The other QB…you guessed it!!!
“Shaun King, one of two Buc Quarterbacks that lost a NFC Championship Game when his defense gave up 11 or fewer points.”
May 11th, 2015 at 6:44 am
I was at that game selling cokes as a boy scout. I met Doug at Fort Hesterly Armoury a couple of years later while watching wrestling. I parked cars so I could get in free. Doug was really funny and cool to be around. Hard to believe that was over 30 years ago.
May 11th, 2015 at 7:17 am
He’s good enough for Doug, good enough for me.
Covered Doug, wrote about him, spoke to him often. Good man who has gone through a lot in his life…..his teammates loved him and played hard for him….loved his big strike capability, Jimmie Giles was his favorite target….
Had Doug and Lee Roy sign a playoff ticket that I gave to my father…..they beat the Eagles in that game, most excitement ever for those early Bucs…..
Jameis has more offensive talent around him than Doug did, but Doug’s team had more defensive talent and a coaching staff second to none……..
May 11th, 2015 at 7:22 am
Thats pretty high priaise considering Doug’s resume. He has been exposed to a lot of young men as a NFL scout, player, college head coach and NFL executive.
May 11th, 2015 at 7:28 am
Wow Tom, I am surprised you have something positive to say.
I was at that Eagles playoff game. It was the most fun Bucs game I have ever been to. Ricky Bell was a beast that day. Can still remember the stadium rocking ….Hey Hey Tampat Bay the Bucs know how to shine …. We need a cool catchy song like that again.
May 11th, 2015 at 7:37 am
Still better uniforms than the crap we got today!
May 11th, 2015 at 7:47 am
He should be in the Ring of Honor…
May 11th, 2015 at 7:49 am
I still have my 1979 season ticket renewal invoice….I think it was something like $120.00 a seat South end zone….. Ole Sombrero
May 11th, 2015 at 8:22 am
Doug Williams is still my favorite Bucs QB of all time. The excitement of those early years is hard to beat.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:40 am
Horrible stats but was a tough guy. Honestly look at his completion percentage he took a beating. No ring of honor and you think Dominik didn’t like him?? Think again Joe, if I remember Dominik promoted Doug Williams. Come on Joe, you don’t see that? Clearly ownership doesn’t like him.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:44 am
I have a throw back jersey of his signed by him. I got it signed at the training camp the year Freeman was drafted.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:45 am
I feel better and better about the franchise as each day passes.
If he’s the guy, we’re in for one helluva ride over the dozen or so years (as long as the ownership group spends money on players, which they’re not).
May 11th, 2015 at 8:48 am
@dreambig:
You missed my “positive” post on Jameis that being said, that was a great game against the Eagles, my best friend, sis and dad were right there where the CBS crew that included Jayne Kennedy was situated……all the players used to go nuts when she’d show up at the facility……
I did warn that most here, including the Joes are constructing a huge pedestal for Jameis, I repeat, let the kid play and don’t go nuts with expectations of 10-win season, etc, etc……..there is still a deep overall talent void on this football team. They still need two more good drafts and hopefully some of these draft picks become players.
May 11th, 2015 at 8:50 am
In Dougs contract year…he threw and INT…I can still see him running on a bad knee ,hobbling, chasing the defender down the field about 30 yeards and bringing him down from behind…HEART of a champion…and yeah he did play the finals games of 1979 with a broken jaw wired shut !
May 11th, 2015 at 9:35 am
Ah, Doug Williams: the one man who could overthrow the Shah.
(showing my age)
May 11th, 2015 at 9:36 am
When they drafted Doug everything changed for the bucs.
I remember his first preseason game and he flicked his wrist and threw about a 60 yard bomb like it was nothing. That’s when I knew we had something.
Its disgraceful that the man was fired from the front office and is not in the ring yet.
Need to fix that right away.
May 11th, 2015 at 9:40 am
Mord….the Shah was already gone…it was …”Doug Williams is the only one that can overthrow the Ayatollah Khomeini”
May 11th, 2015 at 10:00 am
I love the comparison Jameis is totally a young Lebron
May 11th, 2015 at 10:05 am
Damn shame the history of Bucs treatment of Doug Williams, more so Culverhouse, and Dominik is gone also. But nevertheless, I was hoping Jameis would get that #12 and we fans could relive the “worst to first” but with the ability to score points. I hope DW is right and it is great to know he has an incredible support system as well as the Bucs putting a good supporting cast around him.
May 11th, 2015 at 10:18 am
Still got a signed Orange, red, white Bucs pennant signed by Doug and Jerry Eckwood
May 11th, 2015 at 10:30 am
Back in 2013….
Buc1987 Says:
December 16th, 2013 at 12:22 am
“Next years draft is where the Bucs should draft their QB and the QB should be Famous Jameis. If they are not high enough. Make it so.”
“Famous Jameis is the Lebron James of football. He could have skipped college ball altogether.”
May 11th, 2015 at 11:13 am
Oh man! Those were some dark days! Hugh gotta go lol. The Glazer fily isnt perfect but my goodness. I will never take them for granted after the Culverhouse years.
May 11th, 2015 at 12:06 pm
Doug broke his jaw in 78, the year before we went to the playoffs.
May 11th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
“Doug broke his jaw in 78, the year before we went to the playoffs”…you are correct…and it was against the Rams when he broke his jaw….which confused my memory wondering did they play the Rams twice in 79,not likely….was it Jack Youngblood that broke Dougs jaw…that is my recollection
May 11th, 2015 at 1:02 pm
They did play the Rams twice in 79
Game 4 they beat the Rams at Tampa 21-6 that was the game that got them on SI cover “untied, unbeaten and unbelievable”
The NFC title game, i was at that one too, was less successful
May 11th, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Fred Dryer who followed in Merlin Olsen’s footsteps as a Ram lineman who got a TV show is who drilled Williams. Mike Rae came in and did a good job in that game, but our season was basically over. I remember how ticked off Doug was that fans were saying maybe Rae was a better QB following that game….that lasted about a week.
May 12th, 2015 at 3:01 am
still cant see why he couldn’t wear #5 ? Didn’t know Lovey was going to hang it in the ring of sham…
May 12th, 2015 at 3:02 am
still cant see why he couldn’t wear #5 ? Didn’t know Lovey was going to hang it in the ring of shamee…