Maybe it’s good that players and coaches currently aren’t in the same place.
The news that future Hall of Fame running back Frank Gore has signed with the Jets brings together Gore with a defensive coach who once instructed his players to deliberately target Gore’s cranium.
“We’ve got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore’s head,” Williams told the Saints in January 2012, the night before a playoff game against the 49ers. “We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.”
Those comments came to light in the aftermath of the bounty scandal, captured by filmmaker Sean Pamphilon. At the time, Pamphilon was working on a documentary about former Saints player Steve Gleason, early in his ALS fight.
Williams’ cartoonish remarks also mentioned targeting quarterback Alex Smith and receiver Kyle Williams, who had suffered multiple concussions.
“We need to find out in the first two series of the game, the little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion,” Gregg Williams said regarding Kyle Williams. “We need to [expletive] put a lick on him, move him to decide. He needs to decide.”
Kyle Williams has long since exited football. Gore, now No. 3 on the all-time rushing list and determined to keep climbing, will be sharing a practice field, locker room, and sideline with Gregg Williams. On one hand, it happened years ago. On the other hand, it happened.