The death of former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams is being investigated after police received word that he might have been given unprescribed drugs.
In an email to multiple news outlets Tuesday, the Tampa Police Department said it’s looking into the possibility Williams received “unprescribed narcotics by an outside party” while he was hospitalized after a construction accident.
“We take all allegations of criminal activity seriously, and detectives are working tirelessly on this active investigation,” the police email said.
The Hillsborough County (Fla.) Medical Examiner’s office is also investigating Williams’ death.
Williams died on Sept. 12 at age 36. He suffered injuries in a construction accident that reportedly left him partially paralyzed, and he spent more than two weeks in the hospital before his death.
Williams was a Buffalo, N.Y., native who played nearby at Syracuse University. He burst onto the scene in 2010 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, catching 65 passes for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. His receiving TD total set the single-season club mark at the time for any player, and he wound up second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Williams finished his career with 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns in 63 games (52 starts) across four years with Tampa Bay and one with the Buffalo Bills.
–Field Level Media