Even more shocking news is coming out involving former Saints’ Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams. Williams was recently suspended indefinitely by the NFL for his part in the sad story that is the New Orleans Saints’ bounty program.
According to an anonymous player, before a 2006 Monday Night Football game, Williams placed a $15,000 bounty on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson and told his Washing Redskins players that Brad Johnson wasn’t going to finish the game.
“Gregg came in and dropped $15,000 on the (table) and said, ‘Brad Johnson doesn’t finish this game. This is Wednesday and the money will go up later in the week. It could double or triple by the end of the week,’ ” an anonymous player ”Gregg came in and dropped $15,000 on the (table) and said, ‘Brad Johnson doesn’t finish this game. This is Wednesday and the money will go up later in the week. It could double or triple by the end of the week,’ ” an anonymous player told WJFK-FM this week. “A couple of guys kinda got excited. (Defensive line coach) Greg Blache said, ‘If you get fined, it will be taken care of.’ ”
Another Redskins player, who also asked to remain anonymous, backed up the claims against Williams, though he couldn’t remember specific details.
“I can’t say for sure it was $15,000, but I definitely remember that happening before that Minnesota game,” he said. “And I can’t say for sure that those were (Williams’) exact words about Brad Johnson, but that was certainly the message.
“I had never heard anything like that before from a coach, but I wasn’t shocked because that was (Williams’) character, so in your face. His language was always X-rated and our meetings were usually pretty nuts.”
According to the player, that wasn’t the first time Williams told his team to target a specific player.
“The same thing happened before our playoff game the year before against Seattle,” he said. “Gregg wanted us to get (Seahawks MVP running back) Shaun Alexander. Now it happened that (linebacker LaVar Arrington) knocked Shaun out of the game, but he was just playing hard. Unless it’s a free shot at the quarterback, you have a really hard time trying to hurt a guy when you’re making a play on the ball.”
This is one of several reports that the bounty system that Williams set up in New Orleans was also present in Washington.
Original Story:
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March 23, 2012
