Former Saints Coach Gregg Williams Told His Team to Injure 49ers Players Before Their Playoff Game Last Season

He'll probably never coach in the NFL again because of this.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Talk about terrible timing. New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Saints GM Mickey Loomis are supposed to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today to appeal the suspensions they were given last month as a result of "Bountygate." However, just hours before they were set to do so, Yahoo! Sports writer Michael Silver got his hands on an audio tape made by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who followed the Saints around for part of last season while working on a documentary about former Saints player Steve Gleason. And, on the tape, former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams—who has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL—is heard instructing his players to injure guys on the 49ers just one day before the Saints/49ers playoff game last season.

Here are some of the more damning quotes from the tape:

"We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head," Williams says. "We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways."

"Little 32," Williams says, referring to 49ers running back Kendall Hunter, "we want to knock the [expletive] out of him. He has no idea what he's in for. When he's on the sideline, we've gotta turn that [expletive] over, turn their coaches over, turn the spectators over."

"We need to find out in the first two series of the game, the little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion," Williams says, talking about 49ers WR Kyle Williams. "We need to [expletive] put a lick on him, move him to decide. He needs to decide."

And, according to Pamphilon, Williams saved his worst comments for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. "At one point," Pamphilon told Silver, "Williams says, 'We hit [expletive] Smith right there'—then he points under his chin—'remember me.' Then he rubs his thumb against his index and middle fingers—the cash sign—and says, 'I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that [expletive] out.'"

SMH. Maybe some of this is what goes on in every single NFL locker room across the league every week. But, the Alex Smith comments? Yeah, they're not gonna sit well with Goodell. So we fully expect to see the appeals filed by Payton and Loomis get turned down now. Like we said, this news couldn't have come out at a worse time.

[via Yahoo! Sports]

Latest in Sports