He was raised like this, I guess. 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. ATLANTA -- Lisa Robinson nestles in an easy chair in her living room, one bare foot dangling above the floor, the other propped up on the seat. "He said I was an ungrateful city bitch. Williams completed 2 of 13 passes for 12 yards and sustained another vicious hit that left him with his right arm in a sling. A lot of people dont look at my performance and judge me, he said, according to The Baltimore Sun. His sons Adrian and Doug Jr. His chances of succeeding as a Black quarterback in the NFL seemed even smaller. Only Grambling and Southern University, both less than 20 miles down the road from his tiny home town of Zachary, La., offered scholarships. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. Robinson, a Howard University graduate, says she was intrigued by his shy manner when he asked if she would show him, a newcomer, around town. Doug Williams. Hell, Willie Wood couldnt throw the ball end over end. In 1998, Williams succeeded his former coach Eddie Robinson as the head football coach for Grambling State University, a position he held until 2003 and again from 2011 to 2013. His accent was deep, deep South. Turns out there are hundreds of ways you can ask a man what it feels like to be the first black to start at quarterback in the Super Bowl. In 1988, Williams founded the Doug Williams Foundation, which awarded more than $100,000 in college scholarships in its first year. 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. She does not look like a thief who, as he told the judge who issued a warrant for her arrest, forged his signature on a $75,000 check and stole "his" white 1989 Mercedes. I lost sleep when I didn't know what he was doing, when I realized I didn't have a marriage, when I was dealing with his cruelty. He finished fourth in the balloting that season, right behind Notre Dame tight end Ken MacAfee, later a bust with the 49ers. Tommie Benefield For the better part of the next year, Doug, Ashley and their daughter seemed happy, at least . It can take them out of their game., Said Williams: The sack is like their touchdown.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lakers vs. Warriors: What scouts expect in playoff series, Even more phenomenal 50 years later: A look back at Secretariats Triple Crown. As Redskins quarterback Doug Williams stomach throbbed Wednesday night, he placed a telephone call to his 65-year-old father, sitting in a wheelchair back home in Zachary, La. Ashley was a 2008 graduate of East Meck High School, in Charlotte, N.C. and a 2012 graduate of East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Sciences. This Neanderthal, macho thing, it's sad." He was an Outlaw--an Oklahoma Outlaw. Doug Williams was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on June 22, 2018 and by NFL Films on June 28, 2018. 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. He said he didn't think anything was wrong with it, that everybody plays around. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. "One of the best things about my marriage was her unconditional love. What does it mean being black? It says: I have a dream. Four months after her wedding, she says, she started getting calls from women who said they were involved with her husband. She has not shared any personal information with the public yet and his parents have also not talked about it. But Bobby goes out and sees them.. He is not conducting a class on race relations or the sociology of sport and Ill tell you something: If he goes out there with any perspective other than that, they should go ahead and let Jay Schroeder start.. Every morning when I wake up and look in the mirror, I know Im a Black quarterback., Deion Sanders doesn't think anyone will break Tom Brady's Super Bowl wins record. Is Doug Williams the problem with this team?. The Raiders were offering much less. He could throw the ball 70 yards, or he could go intermediate and short, wherever his coach needed them. And all of which heaps more pressure on Williams. She then packed Adrian, their clothes and some of her flower arrangements into the Mercedes and drove to Atlanta. Afterward, she says, Williams insisted that he still wanted to marry her in June. On September 27, 2020, Navy veteran and technology consultant Doug Benefield lost his life in one of the worst ways conceivable. Doug remembers knocking mailboxes down with rocks. The color of his skin is the story of the week here. THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. 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." I told him to go in there figuring he wouldnt be treated fairly, that it would be twice as tough for him as for a white quarterback, he told The Washington Post. A long stretch . The worst thing I can do is get involved in other peoples opinions.. Ill be dodging tacklers with him. . . He won a starting job, but--typically--he had back spasms before a critical game with the New York Giants. but I dont think Id be in San Diego either.. This will be something for all America to witness., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Lakers vs. Warriors: What scouts expect in playoff series, Even more phenomenal 50 years later: A look back at Secretariats Triple Crown. He has dealt with adversity before. A picture of Ashley in his locker is a reminder. Gilliams demotion was linked to drug problems, and he concedes that Noll did what he thought he had to do. There was a lot of tension. Harris was picked in the eighth round by the Buffalo Bills in 1969, Gilliam in the 11th by Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972. Ten days after Lisa's departure, a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was fun and funny. But he reigned in the Super Bowl, of course, and Schroeder was traded this fall. Doug Williams, a preoccupied man, emerged from the locker room at Redskin Park. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. I really heard them on the sidelines. She never knew her mother, who died months after. Ashley is survived by her mother and father, Alva Marie Williams and Douglas Bill Williams, her brother Derek Douglas Williams, her niece Contessa Rose Williams and her mother Emily, and her beloved dog, Jake, who was with her until the end. According to that article, nobody wanted him." His playful insistence made Janice giggle,. Williams also admitted in court to having committed adultery "throughout the course of the marriage." His teammates sacked Bear and Viking quarterbacks a total of 12 times. You know what sums it up better than anything I can think of? And now Williams is bearing the brunt of a publicity overload that has brought down better teams than the Redskins and better players than Williams. . Tampa Bay, his original team, spurned him, offering millions to unheralded quarterback Steve Young instead. Lisa was awarded custody of Adrian, and Williams withdrew the warrant for arrest and later admitted that the negative portrait he painted of Lisa was "improper" and resulted from anger. ), 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. Though Williams had broken passing records at the HBCU, Robinson knew his chances of winning college footballs most prestigious award were minuscule. In fact, he had flown to Tampa ahead of the draft and gotten to know Williams. But only because Williams wanted it that way. I cant hide. She sighs. Joe Gibbs had been an assistant coach for McKay in 1978. "I said fine -- I didn't want to make a big, public mess out of this," says Robinson. Hes not going to take it personally if he doesnt have a good game, said Anthony Brown. Next, the woman in the blue coat wanted to take a picture of Williams alone. "My lawyer said that if I were arrested with Adrian, he would be temporarily put in a foster facility. . There was this one guy who seemed to pay his money just to remind me what color I was.. Beathard and owner Jack Kent Cooke said yes. Williams was his star pupil: 6-4 and 215 pounds with a quick release and a disarming smile. Williams's daughter, Ashley, has lived with his mother in Zachary, the family's hometown, ever since his wife, Janice, died in 1983. I agree with that, he said. I hope the Bucs go 0-16 but all my friends make the Pro Bowl, he said that fall. Gibbs hadnt seen Williams play in years. But more than that, Edwards has, for years, served as a kind of national traffic cop, blowing his whistle at the busy intersection of black America and big time athletics. Six weeks after the marriage, she says, her husband was back in Pennsylvania for training camp. Now the word filtering out of the USFL was that Williams was through. I hope he wins just for the glory.. "Ashley was my company, my entertainment, my friend," says Robinson, who has three framed pictures of her in her Atlanta home. "She said that Doug had told her that in one year I would be a different person. 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. The price was a No. Dont worry, owner Hugh Culverhouse told his coaches, Williams will sign. For the entire 1986 season, he threw one pass, dropped by the receiver. The Redskins told Williams that he wouldnt be a starter. In 17 games this year, opponents have sacked Redskin quarterbacks 39 fewer times than Washington defenders have sacked opposing quarterbacks. A month later Robinson was pregnant. Half of his teammates werent available to be interviewed. She didn't believe them. Relationship Status At the moment, the daughter of American football executive, Temessia Williams appears to be single. There was no question about his arm. He said, sure. I aint gonna tell no lies, he said after arriving here. McMahon mooned a helicopter in New Orleans, giving new meaning to the appellation, Crescent City. 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. "Lisa's small, it's small, {the press} makes it big. Hes had an operation.. A long, cool woman with black hair, brown skin and a blue coat glided to his side, slid her arm around his waist and commandeered a bystander to take their picture. Whenever I'd make plans to visit, it was never the right time." Its like driving and that car youre meeting, Janice is going to be in it. She does feel sure that for him, "the most important thing is the sport." February 10, 2021 Leave a comment. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Robinson says she was cleaning out the bedroom closet in their Herndon house when she found unmistakable evidence of Williams's unfaithfulness. In the subsequent 1987 season, Williams replaced Schroeder as the starting quarterback. And yet, 35 years ago, Williams became the first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl, then conquered the Denver Broncos with an MVP performance. . The 33-year-old is best known for starring on the HBO comedy Girls and in the film Get Out. Levin suggested that she hire Baton Rouge criminal attorney Unglesby, who filed a motion to cancel Williams's warrant, saying that an arrest could do "irreparable harm" to Robinson. I see a lot of Hall of Famers who arent able to buy their groceries today, he said. From the beginning, says Lisa, Doug made it clear that her place, as his wife, was in Zachary, next door to his parents. No one would believe me. I was so disillusioned that he had so little interest in being with me and then was playing around. Writers made comparisons to Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson. Hes a veteran athlete. I have been to the mountain top. It would be six months before he'd be allowed to see her, after a. The goal was to destroy whoever, whatever was in the way. "He came. Doug Williams' Wife Raunda Williams (Bio, Wiki, Pics) Doug said that for the first time in a while, he was clear-headed. It only took about an hour to work out a deal.. Few people bothered repeating Williams response. Doug Williams deep throwswere legendary. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina at www.secondharvestmetrolina.org. Addie married her first husband, Ben Olson, and had two children, Steven and Julie. Heddleston said: To me, he finally looks like the player the Bucs always hoped he would be.. 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. The circumstances surrounding his falling out with Tampa Bay were bitter and still arent entirely clear. she asks. After the game--black, white, green or yellow--well deal with that then.. He was going to use Adrian as a bargaining chip. 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.. Janice Goss Williams was dead a week later. To that point, Harris had been the only Black quarterback to remain an NFL starter for an extended period. "I was floored, totally confused, but I couldn't not believe it. "Big, rich Doug Williams the football star didn't exist when Lisa married him," says Unglesby, Robinson's Baton Rouge lawyer. It was an ideal situation for Williams. He began singing professionally as a young child in the late '50s with what would become the Williams Brothers, formed in 1960 around Doug, his brothers Leonard and Melvin Williams, and their cousin Henry Green. How could he arrange for her to become a fugitive from the law, accuse her of being an indifferent stepmother to Ashley, Williams's daughter by a previous marriage, or tell a reporter that neither of them wanted their baby? Its like Namath said, a reporter suggested to Williams last week, The smartest thing a quarterback can do is. Losing Adrian would be the worst thing that could happen." Williams tearfully confronted him with the evidence, expecting an apology, some recognition of the impact of her discovery. That year, his wife Janice had died suddenly of brain cancer. Everybody who knew him 10 years ago says he is so much more mature now, his judgment so much better. It read: "Very often during emotionally difficult situations such as I have recently experienced, occasionally improper things are said and done. Anybody could have had me, he says now. Edwards is the Berkeley sociologist and black activist who serves as a consultant to baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth on affirmative action. I wouldn't have believed it -- for a long time I thought of him the way the world did. He could throw the ball70 yards, or he could go intermediate and short, wherever his coach needed them. from 1953 to Briscoe, Thrower said. Tampa Bay used the 17th pick of the 1978 draft to make Williams the first quarterback selected that year. If I really wanted money, I could have taken the evidence I had and sold it to some sleazy publication. Fifteen years passed before Denver signed the NFLs next black quarterback, Marlin Briscoe. Williams had other plans. Williams has since remarried--his second wife is the former Lisa Robinson of Baton Rouge--but the memory of his first wife is strong. She headed up our family annual food drive for Second Harvest. Doug Williams has had a lifelong need for that sort of guidance. "I was happy," she says now -- except for one of her girlfriends' persistent claims that Williams was dating another woman. Williams referred to the stereotyping as the Stonewall Jackson mentality., Maybe they think Im dumb because my grammar isnt perfect, he said. I told her, Daddys in the hospital and needs an operation. She asked, Whats an operation? and I didnt know how to explain it. I mean, people can understand what Im trying to say.. If Williams plays well, the reverse might be true for the wrong reasons: Hidebound power brokers might figure that a black quarterback, like a car phone, is something they must have to keep up with the competition. And all the time telling me that the reason he wanted me in Zachary was to care for Ashley." Williams has failed before. "But Doug said she was jealous and that she was intentionally trying to break us up." He has had five knee operations, losing all semblance of cartilage from his scarred left knee. 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. They were underground comments, Heddleston said. Ashley said she shot Doug in self-defense during a heated "domestic argument" but . He failed to attract the attention of the major colleges as a senior at Chaneyville High School in Louisiana. She is the daughter of Doug Williams, an American football executive and coach. But the further the Redskins advance, the harder it is to avoid the rush. He says he had no choice but. . Addie was the oldest daughter of beloved Salem couple Tom and Alice Horton (via Soap Central ). According to court record, Williams or one of his friends went to the airport when he knew she was in Baton Rouge for a hearing, found the parked Mercedes -- the only car Robinson had -- and drove it away without her knowledge. We set the price high on purpose, Beathard said. Last week, McKay issued a prepared statement through the Tampa Bay public relations office rather than deal personally with a flurry of interview requests. Occupation(s): The public relations director at Tampa was Bob Best. The coach exploded the next season when a Texas reporter quoted Williams Southern drawl verbatim in a story. He said ax instead of ask. What about losing a league? When the Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League, a rival to the NFL, met his asking price in a multiyear deal, Williams took it. Gibbs acted on a hunch and called Williams, now 31, offering him a shot at being Jay Schroeders backup in 1986. The NFL had already written off Williams. On June 5, Robinson and Williams signed a prenuptial agreement in which they agreed that all assets in his name prior to their wedding would remain his or Ashley's in the event of a divorce or his death. Next I was infuriated, felt violated, humiliated, deceived." Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. "He was no catch. That is his style on the field, too. She started badgering him; though he continued to deny knowing the women, he became increasingly hostile. A lot of people know who the players are. Ashley was a 2008 graduate of East Meck High School, in Charlotte, N.C. and a 2012 graduate of East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Sciences. The devil aint going to get her. I say, Your momma is a good momma. Ill talk to her more when shes at the stage to understand death.. Theres only so many questions you can ask about being a black quarterback, but everybody found a new way of making me darker. But there were a lot of racial things yelled out. John McKay, Williams coach in Tampa Bay, had ignored the bigoted protests when he was a coach at Southern California. Theyve already sent all the black people back on a plane., People were more comfortable with jokes, caricatures and cartoon characterizations of Williams. He termed it a real bad situation but didnt see any way out of not playing Williams in relief of Schroeder in a preseason game in Tampa. He liked what he saw. She says all she wanted after she learned about his infidelities was a quiet divorce and a new life with Adrian in Atlanta. He knocked again on General Manager Bobby Beathards door and said, Is there any chance. And like I didn't want to know him." "I know him -- Doug is basically motivated by his ego," she says. Through November, he says, the NBA has hired 55 blacks to positions ranging from front office to clerical and including coaching. He left Redskin Park in tears one night, his heavy head down for a change. A lot of people cant accept that Im a Black quarterback and starting in the NFL. "Ego doesn't just manifest itself as cocky, obnoxious. Douglas LeAllen Williams (born September 3, 1956) is an American music artist. Already this day, Williams had studied film of the Denver Broncos defense, worked out with his teammates and conducted group interviews before and after practice. But Edwards warns everybody, especially Williams, against taking this all too seriously. On May 16, she was ready. 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. Their daughter, Ashley Monique, was 3 months old. The first black quarterback to play in the NFL is now a construction foreman in New Kensington, Pa. His name is Willie Thrower, perhaps the best name ever for a quarterback before Chuck Long hit the scene.