When he invited me down for the Super Bowl, we were talking about getting reconciled. Hes a natural leader, hes intelligent, hes a real student of the game.. Doug was shot to death Sept. 27, 2020 after he had gone to the Florida home of his estranged wife, Ashley Benefield, during a "custody battle" for the couple's young daughter, according to a statement from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. I aint gonna tell no lies, he said after arriving here. That was nothing compared to the scene he faced ahead of Super Bowl 22, when reporters asked him about seemingly every angle of his achievement given the color of his skin. The same year Williams was drafted, Warren Moon, who had quarterbacked Washington to a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan, decided to sign with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League instead of test the NFL draft. 5 pitted Williams against Evans, who started for the Bears. Doug Williams Football Camp attracts hundreds of participants - WAFB He said he understood. Williams has since remarried--his second wife is the former Lisa Robinson of Baton Rouge--but the memory of his first wife is strong. He could throw the ball 70 yards, or he could go intermediate and short, wherever his coach needed them. In February, Robinson was visiting Washington for a board meeting of the Doug Williams Foundation, a nonprofit youth organization founded in April 1988 of which she was president. He could throw the ball70 yards, or he could go intermediate and short, wherever his coach needed them. She phoned Williams in Herndon when she arrived. Thursday morning, Doug Williams telephoned her in Louisiana as she dressed for school. Williams has received a lot more publicity than his predecessors, wrote Ulish Carter, a sports columnist for the Pittsburgh Courier ahead of the 1978 draft, so whatever team selects him must be very careful in their treatment of him. The corresponding NAACP number for major league baseball is 30. So that gives sportswriters a chance to say what a poor quarterback and passer he is. Ashley was a very caring and loving daughter who loved doing for her parents, Loyal Manager at Viva Chicken, which she loved and was dedicated to. Dig this: Long Beach States Mason Briggs could be next big thing at libero, Kentucky Derby storylines: Training death puts early pall over Churchill Downs, Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: How to watch, start times and betting odds, Elliott: Pissed off Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers playoff stranglehold, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! But she feels compelled to comment on the unjustified warrant he initiated, to defend herself against his accusations about her character. In fact, he had flown to Tampa ahead of the draft and gotten to know Williams. It didn't mattter. Sapir asked to set up a meeting for later that week. Their daughter, Ashley Monique, was 3 months old. She headed up our family annual food drive for Second Harvest. In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series 28 Black Stories in 28 Days.We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nations reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The team finished 5-11, winning once without Williams. What about losing a league? He practically ran the practices for (Coach) Eddie Robinson down there.. February 10, 2021 Leave a comment. One other thing gave her pause. She was employed with Viva Chicken of Winston Salem. Williams tearfully confronted him with the evidence, expecting an apology, some recognition of the impact of her discovery. doug williams daughter ashley. . ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, Shohei Ohtanis seventh home run of the season helps Angels avoid sweep, Florida Panthers upset record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 OT thriller, Dodgers dont need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals, School is in session as Sparks begin training camp. Doug Williams - NNDB Close observers say the relationship between Williams and McKay was more like father and son than coach and player, which made the falling out doubly difficult. Thrower played briefly in two games for George Halas 1953 Chicago Bears. Dougs daughter Ashley, 5, has not yet adopted this philosophy, although her somewhat tragic legacy is bound to settle in someday as she ages. AKA Douglas Lee Williams. "I was floored, totally confused, but I couldn't not believe it. Doug and Janice were college sweethearts at Grambling,. When Williams approached his locker, he knew he might find hateful letters from fans or something worse. He signed with the USFLs Oklahoma Outlaws and openly rooted against the Buccaneers when the 1983 season began. I said hes sick., On the day of the surgery, he hadnt seemed ill in the least, answering a myriad of media questions prior to practice. For the most part he is handling it all remarkably well. All of them had strong arms. He was not a hot item, Tobin said. It was a price we felt we wouldnt be offered. THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. Where is Doug Benefield's Ex-Wife Ashley Byers Now? When she left him, "it immediately became a competition for him that he had to win at any cost. "I was the one who was his wife, the only one who had to have a personal relationship based on trust." I hope he wins just for the glory.. "I want you to print one thing, because I want Lisa to read this," said Williams in a phone interview on the opening day of Redskins training camp in Carlisle, Pa. "Tell Lisa and all the people in Washington, the best thing is for Lisa to be quiet. "I know him -- Doug is basically motivated by his ego," she says. Williams says he's just glad this mess is over. Sign up for service and obituary updates. The pair were married less than two weeks later after falling madly in love.. She was a beautiful person inside and out. Hes a veteran athlete. On September 27, 2020, Doug was packing a U . Do you know Jesse Owens? . Do you think you have to carry all of black America? I was so lovesick. Robinson, who says Williams's threats don't bother her because she has nothing to hide, insists that she would have been glad to leave Williams alone. McKay, who won four national titles at USC, had managed two wins in the Bucs first two seasons of existence. Williams says he does. What does it mean being black and being in the Super Bowl? Its been that way all year. So the Redskins signed Williams. She says she adored Ashley, "a very loving child" who she says called her Mommy. But it doesnt bother me. In 1989, Williams retired from the NFL and went on to coach at several schools at the high school and college level, including Northeast High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the U.S. Washington General Manager Bobby Beathard and Coach Joe Gibbs remembered those numbers when they agreed to sign Williams as a backup to Jay Schroeder before the 1986 season. There was this one guy who seemed to pay his money just to remind me what color I was.. Then Williams returned to his hometown of Zachary, La., to join his parents and Ashley, his then 3-year-old daughter from his marriage to Janice Goss, his Grambling State University sweetheart who died after brain surgery in 1983. He would return to the Bucs to work in their front office from 2004 to 2010. Well-Armed Pioneer - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com After the game--black, white, green or yellow--well deal with that then.. So, he was the first to hear his 33-year-old son speak. Buccaneer officials later said they offered him $600,000. Colorado head coach, and former NFL player, Deion Sanders, explains why he thinks Tom Brady's Super Bowl record is untouchable. Williams had other plans. In 67 games in a previous NFL life as quarterback-savior of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers between 1978 and 1982, defenders sacked Williams just 65 times. If he doesnt make it, it should be strictly because of his ability, not because the majority of the people arent ready or dont want a Black quarterback.. During his five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he led the team to the playoffs three times. Doug said he wanted me at the most important event of his life." The Afro American newspaper pointed out that while similar critics once found Dizzy Deans malaprops colorful, Williams grammar made him dumb. Youre going to meet her in the highway and shes going to say, Doug, why did you get married?, Sometimes Ill be driving and Ill turn down the music and Ashley will say, Janice is up there. He even ripped former Buccaneer coach John McKay, who had fiercely and tirelessly defended Williams abilities and performances. "But Doug said she was jealous and that she was intentionally trying to break us up." He has a great ability to make the big play and is an intense competitor. Next, the woman in the blue coat wanted to take a picture of Williams alone. But a lot of people have blown it out of proportion, he says. He makes you remember that his wife died. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, Shohei Ohtanis seventh home run of the season helps Angels avoid sweep, Florida Panthers upset record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 OT thriller, Dodgers dont need the long ball to finish sweep of Cardinals, School is in session as Sparks begin training camp. Despite being a standout high school quarterback at Hamilton High in Los Angeles, Moon went to junior college to prove he was a quarterback and, when he finally started at Washington, had to listen to fans shower him with insults related to his race. Robert Williams said his son is saddened he wont quarterback the Washington Redskins in Phoenix Sunday, but worse things could have happened. Unable to play, he watched Schroeder take the game and his job. He waited patiently by his car door while she adjusted her camera. . Brown is a Madison (Wis.) public relations executive who received a phone call from Benjamin Hooks, NAACP national executive director, at 6:30 the morning after former Dodger personnel boss Al Campanis had created a national furor on ABC-TVs Nightline last spring. He finished fourth in the balloting that season, right behind Notre Dame tight end Ken MacAfee, later a bust with the 49ers. "That's a great thing to have in print so Adrian can stumble upon it one day, that his father didn't want him. In fact, he sat out the 1983 season when Tampa Bay wouldnt budge. And, though it ended intriumph, it is a story of failure, perhaps on all sides, to fully understand one another. His biggest influence was his oldest brother, Robert, who later pitched in the Cleveland Indian organization. Robinson used $34,000 of the money to pay off the Mercedes, deposited $10,000 in the Ashmo account and kept $31,000 to get settled, buy furniture and pay attorneys' fees. His head up, Doug Williams signed. She didnt understand it too much, Robert said. In the interview for which he has since apologized, Williams told The Post that his then-wife "unexpectedly" showed up at the Super Bowl because she "had to come back for the hoopla." The most important thing is to perform and when its all over be able to hold your head up, be yourself, be somebody.. He told her, Daddys sick. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 91 yards over four drives, one leading to a touchdown. Williams and his wife, Raunda Ashner Williams, live in Grambling, Louisiana. Tampa Bay traded his rights to Washington for a fifth-round draft pick. . Upon graduating in 1973, he was recruited by Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana, where he was mentored by legendary college football coach Eddie Robinson. Ill be dodging tacklers with him. Beathard wanted a No. That includes attorney David Cornwell, a black, hired in October to be the NFLs director of equal employment. Ashley said she shot Doug in self-defense during a heated "domestic argument" but . Its just that the heat from the national spotlight at the Super Bowl can burn a hole right through reality. Williams will gladly and simply settle for being the player who quarterbacked the winning team in Super Bowl XXII. The worst thing I can do is get involved in other peoples opinions.. Hes not a Black quarterback. She was always smiling, laughing, and talking to everybody. And Im delighted for that.. He always is. I felt like I didn't know him. I try hard not to let it happen. McKay had been an assistant in the late 1950s when Willie Wood (the future Hall of Fame defensive back) was the schools first Black quarterback. "Ashley was my company, my entertainment, my friend," says Robinson, who has three framed pictures of her in her Atlanta home. They have eight children, Doug Williams, Jr., Temessia Williams, Adrian Williams, Leta Williams, Lee Williams, Ashley Williams, Jasmine Williams, and Laura Williams. It wasnt really even a knock. He left Redskin Park in tears one night, his heavy head down for a change. I finally had to decide for myself and Adrian that it didn't matter if everyone else thought Doug was a saint. Theyve already sent all the black people back on a plane., People were more comfortable with jokes, caricatures and cartoon characterizations of Williams. And they definitely wont get him now.. Doug referred to the baby as Monique, the name he had selected. By 1982, when he had led the Bucs to three playoff appearances in four years, he was still one of the lowest paid quarterbacks in the NFL at $125,000 per year. From the beginning, says Lisa, Doug made it clear that her place, as his wife, was in Zachary, next door to his parents. and major league baseball. He says he had no choice but. Edwards is the Berkeley sociologist and black activist who serves as a consultant to baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth on affirmative action. Do you look at yourself as Martin Luther King? Heddleston maintains that Beathard once again simply out-hustled the rest of the league. A month later, she says, Williams confessed to having had a longtime affair with one of the callers. . She signed Williams's name on a $75,000 check that was made out to him, but was payment for work done by both of them, a joint appearance in a TV commercial for hair products. You play to win. Doug Williams is a young quarterback. Things were getting sticky down there even before the contract thing came up, he said. Mississippian Doug Williams is a contemporary gospel singer, songwriter, and producer from a longtime Billboard-charting musical family. But she didnt understand. Once More, Life Is Third and Long : For Injured Doug Williams, Pain Has In the subsequent 1987 season, Williams replaced Schroeder as the starting quarterback. He also refused to allow anybody to switch Doug to another position. Four months after her wedding, she says, she started getting calls from women who said they were involved with her husband. McKay pointed to receivers who were unimaginative with their routes and poor blocking but not Williams. I told them, Quarterbacks dont run.' doug williams daughter ashley - usambaras.com Williams' daughter, Ashley, is his foundation director. Anyway, I hope thats the reason. There was one obstacle he had to clear. "That he's this slow-talking, home-grown country boy who doesn't know nothin' but bein' nice to people is the furthest thing from the truth," she says, "like my saying I'm a 50-year-old Jewish woman." As Williams hurtled the Bucs toward the playoffs, the Bucs, like the Dodgers three decades before, became Black Americas team. It read: "Very often during emotionally difficult situations such as I have recently experienced, occasionally improper things are said and done. But Edwards warns everybody, especially Williams, against taking this all too seriously. Every week, it seemed, a different friend was calling her, telling her Doug had been seen at this party with one woman, at some club with another. Which is why Williams appreciates the protection he receives from his porcine offensive line and a public relations department that screens an avalanche of requests daily. "I didn't like it but I didn't lose any sleep about that. Adrian Williams and Doug Williams Jr. are her two brothers. Period.". But years later, Gibbs concurred with Beathards opinion that Williams was head and shoulders ahead of the next best available backup for Schroeder. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? In 1986, he threw just one regular-season pass. When I lost my wife in '83, it makes me realize how much more of a good woman I had in life. Robinson accepted a new, demanding job as a Xerox account manager for Wayne County, Mich., and in December moved to Detroit, her hometown. If Williams plays poorly, there is danger that the public and the football Establishment will interpret that failure as a sign blacks cant play quarterback in the NFL. Next I was infuriated, felt violated, humiliated, deceived." They have eight children, Doug Williams, Jr., Temessia Williams, Adrian Williams, Leta Williams, Lee Williams, Ashley Williams, Jasmine Williams, and Laura Williams. I dont think Id be in San Quentin . Ashley Benefield Accused Of Killing Husband Doug Benefield | Crime News Ashley turned 5 earlier this month. Only Grambling and Southern University, both less than 20 miles down the road from his tiny home town of Zachary, La., offered scholarships. But hes got more than just talent, Eddie Robinson, his football coach at Grambling State University, said in November 1977. He never says that he has 20 Giorgio Armani suits in his closet, that his cowboy boots cost $700. Doug met Ashley, a ballet dancer, at a 2016 Republican Party fundraiser. Doug Williams Doug or Douglas Williams is the name of: People Sports Doug Williams (quarterback) (born 1955), American football quarterback, coach, and executive; Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams (offensive lineman) (born 1962), American football offensive lineman Doug Williams (Australian footballer) (1923-2014), Australian rules footballer Doug Williams Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic "He said I was an ungrateful city bitch. She started badgering him; though he continued to deny knowing the women, he became increasingly hostile. As Robinson tells the story, the young widower she met in September 1986 seemed anything but invincible. Ashley Marie Williams, daughter of Doug and Marie Williams, was born on March 28,1990 went to be with our Lord on November 8, 2021. She was concerned about others, donating her time and money to feed others. Soon he was telling Best that Notre Dame was the white Grambling. The local reporters loved it. He seems to be the same player who did such an outstanding job for the Buccaneers. Its a fact that we were not as good a team after we were unable to keep him in 1983., Asked if he harbors any bad feelings toward McKay now, Williams shrugged and said, I dont have any bad feelings. Janice Goss Williams was dead a week later. (He would finish fourth in the voting.) Among other things, Campanis said blacks didnt have the necessities to handle positions of power within sports. Hooks commissioned Brown to represent the NAACP on affirmative action and work with the NFL, the National Basketball Assn. They attended Grambling together for four years. A lot of times I make Lisa suffer for it, he said. Robinson says she was crushed, completely disheartened. But his coach couldnt fully shield him from the intense pressure he felt by seasons end. That's not what I was when he married me. DOUG WILLIAMS'S SIDE OF THE STORY - The Washington Post Williams didnt. Williams and his wife, Raunda, have eight children: Laura, Lee, Ashley, Adrian, Doug, Jr., Jasmine, Temessia, and Carmaleta; also, he is the first cousin of recording artist Is'real Benton. Doug Williams' Wife Raunda Williams (Bio, Wiki, Pics) Doug said that for the first time in a while, he was clear-headed.
