Bernard Williams Reacts to Eagles Release at 51 Years Old; Last Played in 1994

The Philadelphia Eagles officially waived offensive lineman Bernard Williams from the organization's reserve/suspended list on Nov. 16. Williams hadn't played in the NFL since 1994 after he was suspended six games for the use of marijuana. He then received a ban for the remainder of the season.

He never applied for reinstatement and has remained on the team's suspended list ever since. He played in the Canadian Football League, the Arena Football League, and the XFL instead.

Williams, now 51 years old, was surprised by the news. He revealed that he received a call explaining the situation from a former player that he coached in high school, who is now a scout for the Green Bay Packers (via Andrew DiCecco of InsideTheBirds.com).

"When I went to Canada, the Eagles kept my rights through all of that," said Williams. "They never released my rights. But I had no idea that I was still on the roster 29 years later."

He was selected with the 14th overall pick of the 1994 NFL draft, starting in all 16 games as a rookie. Williams was then suspended ahead of his sophomore season.

"It was about me dealing with personal stuff," Williams explained, per Scooby Axson of USA Today. "A lot of grief at that point in my life that I hadn't dealt with. I really needed to take some time off, but I couldn't. Marijuana was my crutch during that time. Pretty much, I just wanted to be home."

An Eagles spokesperson revealed that NFL officials contacted Philadelphia recently and explained that they were clearing out decades-old players on various reserve lists when Williams' name surfaced, according to Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Despite his short amount of time on the field as a member of the team, Williams is still a supporter of the franchise that drafted him almost 30 years ago.

"People ask me all the time, 'Who's your team?' I'm gonna always be an Eagles guy because the Eagles chose me," he said.