Director of Pro Personnel
Super Bowl XXII MVP and former Buccaneer great Doug Williams enters his sixth season with the Buccaneers, and first as Director of Pro Personnel after spending the past five seasons (2004-2008) as personnel executive.Williams re-joined the Buccaneers in 2004 following a successful tenure as head coach at his alma mater, Grambling State, and one of the most storied playing careers in league and team history. He returned to Tampa Bay to lend his expertise and more than 20 years of experience in football to Tampa Bay’s front office. Williams’ responsibilities include coordinating the scouting and recruiting of all NFL players, while also monitoring NFL transactions and overseeing player tryouts. In addition, he is in charge of Tampa Bay’s evaluating efforts of all other professional football leagues, including the Canadian Football League. Since his return to Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers have captured two NFC South division titles.
Williams has been a vital asset to the Buccaneers front office in the assessment of pro talent since his return. He was instrumental in the scouting and signing of WR Antonio Bryant, who went on to be named The Sporting News’ 2008 Comeback Player of the Year. Bryant led the Buccaneers with a career-high 83 receptions for a career-high and team-high 1,248 yards and led the team with a career-high seven touchdown receptions last season. Williams also had a hand in the re-signing of WR Michael Clayton this past offseason. Drafted in 2004, Clayton pieced together the fifth-most prolific rookie receiving campaign in NFL history while setting Buccaneers rookie records for most receptions (80), receiving yards (1,193) and receiving touchdowns (seven) in a season. DE Stylez G. White was also scouted by Williams prior to White’s breakout performance in 2007 in which he led the Buccaneers in both sacks (8.0) and forced fumbles (7) in his first NFL season.
Williams, a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 1978 NFL Draft (17th overall), led the Buccaneers to the first three playoff appearances in team history (1979, 1981, 1982), including an amazing appearance in the 1979 NFC Championship Game in just the fourth year of existence. He propelled the team to three winning seasons (10-6 in 1979, 9-7 in 1981 and 5-4 in 1982), the only campaigns in franchise history with a winning record until more than 15 years later, in the 1997 season. Williams also guided Tampa Bay to its first NFC Central title in 1979.
Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback from 1978-1982, Williams still ranks among the leaders in club history in several major passing categories: second in touchdown passes (73), third in passing yards (12,648), third in pass attempts (1,890) and fourth in pass completions (895). Williams, who started 67 career games for the Buccaneers, was a two-time team MVP in 1980 and 1981. He ended his Tampa Bay career in 1982 as the all-time franchise leader in touchdown passes, passing yards, attempts and completions.
In 1986, Tampa Bay traded the NFL rights to Williams to the Washington Redskins for a 1987 fifth-round pick, which was used on S Tony Mayes, who never saw action in a Buccaneer uniform. The trade followed two seasons for Williams with the Oklahoma Outlaws of the USFL. Williams led the Redskins to a 42-10 victory over Denver in Super Bowl XXII following the 1987 season, and was anointed the game’s MVP after he set or tied several Super Bowl passing records, including most TD passes (four), most yards passing (340), longest pass completion (80 yards) and longest TD pass (80 yards). He was the first black quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl. Williams ended his playing career following the 1989 season with the Redskins.
In six seasons (1998-2003) at Grambling State University, Williams brought one of the most storied programs in college football history back to prominence, compiling a 52-18 record as head coach after succeeding the legendary Eddie Robinson, who was at the helm for 57 years from 1941-1997 and re-wrote the record books as the winningest coach in the history of college football with 408 career wins.
Williams led the Tigers to three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles from 2000-2002 as they were named National Black College Champions during the same three-year span. He was also named SWAC Coach of the Year in each of those three seasons, and was also honored as Street and Smith’s Black College Coach of the Year in 2000. Williams was a two-time finalist for The Sports Network Eddie Robinson (Division I-AA) National Coach of the Year.
Williams has gained invaluable experience at many levels, including the start of his college head coaching career at Morehouse College in 1997. He also has previous NFL experience as a scout for Jacksonville in 1995 and as offensive coordinator for the Scottish Claymores of the World League in 1995, and tutored running backs for Navy in 1994. Williams also excelled on the high school level as head coach and athletic director at Point Coupee High School in New Roads, Louisiana in 1991, and in 1993, he was head coach at Northeast High School in his hometown of Zachary, La., where he guided the team to a 13-1 record and the state semifinals.
As Grambling’s quarterback from 1974-1977, Williams had a spectacular college career as he passed for more than 8,000 yards and 93 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to three National Black College National Championships and two SWAC titles. He posted a 36-7 record as a starter and finished fourth in voting for the 1977 Heisman Trophy.
Williams has been vital in the development of The Field Generals, an organization founded by and composed of retired NFL African American quarterbacks (Williams, James Harris, Marlin Briscoe, Randall Cunningham, Vince Evans and Warren Moon) who are dedicated to teaching and preserving the history of the African American quarterback. Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He returned to South Bend, Indiana in 2006 to speak, along with other members of the Field Generals, about the struggles and perseverance African American quarterbacks endured while integrating the position. In February 2007, Williams, along with fellow members of the Field Generals, and author William C. Rhoden, released Third and a Mile, a story of the trials and triumphs of the black quarterback in conjunction with ESPN.
In 2005, along with Harris, Williams established The Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation with the function of providing grants for after-school initiatives, leadership development, mentoring programs and minority higher education assistance for economically disadvantaged youth. In March of 2009, the Foundation put on its first annual Washington Football Legends for Charity in Washington, D.C.. A nostalgic evening of tribute, food and fun that honored football legends in our nation’s capital, the event’s proceeds assisted several charities.
In 2004 and 2008, Williams was named to the preliminary list of nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also was honored by Pop Warner as the Joseph J. Tomlin Award recipient in 2004. The Tomlin award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding character development, physical fitness and scholastic achievement.
Upon the completion of Super Bowl XLII, the NFL honored the 20th anniversary of Williams’ Super Bowl XXII victory as Williams was chosen to present the Lombardi Trophy to the New York Giants following their victory over the New England Patriots.
In 2008, Williams gave the keynote address at the Buccaneers Community Quarterback Awards, speaking on the importance of volunteerism and community service. He also championed the 2008 Habitat for Humanity Super Build, helping to provide local individuals with decent, affordable homes to live and raise their families. During the 2008 offseason, Williams and former Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden conducted a free one-day quarterback camp at One Buccaneer place for more than 50 Bay Area high school quarterbacks. At the camp, Williams led the group through a series of on-field drills while also spending several hours in a pair of film sessions.
Williams and his wife, Raunda, have eight children: Ashley, Adrian, Carmeleta, Doug, Jr., Jasmine, Laura, Lee and Temessia.
