Report: League summons Gregg Williams to New York


Posted by Mike Florio on March 4, 2012, 8:26 PM EST

File photo of New Orleans Saints' Williams watching his team prepare for NFL football game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans Reuters

Usually, players pay visits to the proverbial principal’s office. On Monday, Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will make the trek to Manhattan for a meeting with league officials regarding his use of a bounty system in at least one — and reportedly more — NFL cities.


Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that Williams will meet with NFL security officials Jeff Miller and Joe Hummel “for another round of dialogue.” Williams also may meet with Commissioner Roger Goodell.


Based on the text of the league’s release from Friday regarding the discovery of a bounty program that Williams administered in New Orleans, it’s more than reasonable to conclude that Williams has met with league officials at least twice before. On at least one occasion, WIlliams — and other coaches and players — said they know nothing about players being paid extra for turnovers and/or kill shots. On at least one other occasion, Williams came clean.


So why has Williams been summoned to New York on the first business day after the situation publicly came to light? It probably has something to do with reports that Williams ran a bounty program when serving as the defensive coordinator in Washington and as the head coach in Buffalo. If, as NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Tim Graham of the Buffalo News, the league is not aware of bounty systems in other cities, it means that the league either didn’t ask Williams about it, or that Williams didn’t tell.


And if Williams specifically was asked but failed to tell, he undoubtedly faces an extra level of consequences, up to and including banishment from the league.


Surely, Miller and Hummel at some point asked Williams regarding the bounty program in New Orleans, “Is this the extent of it?” Apparently, Williams said yes.