Former NFL WR Mike Williams Dies at Age 36 After Construction Accident

Former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams died Tuesday morning at the age of 36, agent Hadley Engelhard told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

According to ESPN, Williams had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit following a construction accident last week in Tampa, Florida that left him partially paralyzed. Tierney Lyle, the mother of his eight-year-old daughter, told the Tampa Bay Times last week that Williams was taken off a ventilator on Thursday.

"He will be missed. He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family," Engelhard told Rapoport.

A Buffalo native, Williams stayed close to home and made a name for himself at Syracuse before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with a fourth-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He made an immediate impact as a rookie, recording 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. At the time, he set a new franchise record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season. He also finished second in the voting for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Williams spent four years in Tampa Bay before being traded to his hometown Buffalo Bills prior to the 2014 season. In five career NFL seasons, he finished with 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns across 63 games with 52 starts.