Former NFL receiver Mike Williams, who played for the Buccaneers and the Bills, died in September due to bacterial sepsis.
Via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, the Hillsborough County (Florida) Medical Examiner’s Office disclosed the cause of death on Thursday. The specific conclusion was “bacterial sepsis with cerebral abscesses and necrotizing lobar pneumonia due to multiple dental caries and retained dental roots.”
The death was determined to be the result of natural causes, with no foul play involved.
As noted by Laine, the rare condition is linked to “poor dental health, decay and infection.” Williams was 36 years old.
Williams suffered a head injury at work. The next day, he was taken to the hospital with respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and sepsis due to multiple brain abscesses. He died in hospice care on September 12.
He was a fourth-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2010. After three seasons in Tampa, Williams signed with the Bills for the 2014 campaign. He was out of football in 2015 before joining the Chiefs for the 2016 offseason, training camp, and preseason.
