ESPN has reported that former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator and current St. Louis Rams defensive boss Gregg Williams is headed to the NFL League Office in New York today, to discuss the “Bounty System” which he had in place for the last three years with the Saints. He’s in some major hot water for having a pot of about $50,000 to give out to player who knocked opposing players out of games.
According to the report, Saints defensive players would receive $1500 for “knockouts” and $1000 for “cart offs”.
He and his players are in major trouble because they ended Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner’s career with big hits during a playoff game and they beat up former Packers quarterback Brett Favre during an NFL Championship game.
Not only are Williams and the players in hot water, but Saints head coach Sean Payton and team GM Mickey Loomis.
My former coach Buddy Ryan never needed to put together a “bounty system” for the Philadelphia Eagles when he was a coach. It was simple if you had a good shot at an opponent, you took it. He always encouraged us to deliver as much punishment as possible. If you got a chance to knock a guy out of a game, you took it. No Mercy. Intimidate.
We were coached to physically punish the opposing offense, especially the quarterback. We were coached to hit the quarterback early and often. If you didn’t take the shot at an opponent, especially a quarterback, to lay the hammer down on him, Buddy made sure you knew that he didn’t approve of it. We were a “No Mercy” football team.
We as players did give each other small amounts of money for big hits, interceptions, caused fumbles and fumble recoveries. This was a regular thing throughout the NFL.
The coaches knew it was going on, but they weren’t really a part of it. They would just make like they didn’t hear or know about it. Some of the coaches who were former players might talk about it some, but it was for the most part a player thing.
We weren’t trying to knock guys out of the game because of the money. At the same time we weren’t turning down an opportunity to knock a guy out of the game.
We went into games looking for the opportunity to deliver big hits. It was part of the job and understood by all the other players on the field. We wanted our hits to be legal and clean, but we wanted to intimidate our opponents when given the opportunity.
the 8,10,12 year old Pop Warner boys are on the field this year with pink shoelaces, wrist bands and hand towels —- the NFL needs to kick Greg Williams out of the league before it trickles down — who cares about what happens in every NFL teamlocker room it is about what could happen at the playground now
G-cobb — thank god Reggie White did not intentionally try to hurt people like your Safeties to balance out the ferocity of Buddy’s message
Gregg Williams will be made an example of by Goodell. Especially now with the new CBA & all of the past injuries plaguing the former players. G your right, this isn’t new, & all sports do it one way or another. Baseball, they throw at batters & try to spike the fielders on slides. Hockey, they try to punish players on every hit & send pugilists out to beat each other up. Basketball, they intentionally foul you & hack you. Football is no different. It is a violent sport where you are hitting & battling each other on every snap. When I played in High school & Pop-Warner, we always tried to pound the oppositions QB’s, WR’s & RB’s. It was always pushed by every coach of mine, right or wrong. If anyone doesn’t believe that it goes on in every level, of all sports, is naive & ignorant. While I don’t condone pay for injury, it is getting to a point where Goodell is going to have them playing flag football in skirts. Who gives a crap if team-mates put $$$ in a pot to give incentive to play better & outdo each other. If it is done in fun & not maliciously to try & hurt someone, who gives a crap. While Goodell is trying to hold the NFL in high regard & make the atmosphere better around the game, he can be questionable & hypocritical in his decision making process. He new this was going on for a long time, but now he is trying to be all holier than thou, since a couple of big mouths opened their pie-holes.
A couple of Rumors about the seriousness of this Saints/Bountry Scandal ..
Rams to Dismiss DC Greg Williams and name Chuck Cecil as the DC
Greg WIlliams is banned for Life from Coaching again in the NFL …
The Saints to dismiss HC Sean Payton..
Saints replace S Payton with OC Pete CArmichael and Steve Spags as Asst HC
( Sean Peyton is suspended for 2 Season and not eligible to coach again until 2014) Drew Brees, M Colston, R Meachem, Nicks all publicly demand to be traded and leave the NO Saints and go play for the Redskins making them the dominant team in the NFC East for the next few seasons…
Paulman – Chuck Cecil may be crazier than Greg Williams —
Paul, dropping tabs of acid again, I see! LMFBO!
Fogort to mention, After Sean PAyton serves his 2 Year Suspensio, Owner Jerry Jones hires him as the next Dallas Cowboy HC in 2014 and they go on to with 4 Super Bowls between 2015-2021.. Eagle Fans can’t catch a break..