The most damning evidence to date against former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been released publicly, in the form of an audio track recorded by a filmmaker who was working on a documentary about former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is currently battling ALS.
Sean Pamphilon gave the track to Yahoo's Michael Silver after he grew concerned about the specific language used by Williams. Below is the audio, recorded before the Saints' playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers in January. There are direct mentions of going after the head of running back Frank Gore and quarterback Alex Smith, the ankles of tight end Vernon Davis and the ACL of receiver Michael Crabtree. Please be warned that the language is at times profane:
The "Number 10" Williams referred to was wide receiver Kyle Williams, who had suffered a concussion in a regular season game in December. Pamphilon turned the audio over after hearing reports the Giants also targeted Kyle Williams the following week, and was convinced then that "targeting the head" was in no way metaphorical on Gregg Williams' part (courtesy Yahoo):
"When [Gregg Williams] was talking about the Gore stuff and saying ‘cut off the head,’ I was thinking, ‘That’s a metaphor,’ " Pamphilon says. "The thing that really got me was when he said the thing about No. 10 and concussions. I thought, ‘Did he just say that?’ That was the red flag for me. And then the comments by the Giants made it hit home even harder."
Gregg Williams is currently suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
For more on the Saints Bounty Scandal, go to Canal Street Chronicles and SB Nation's NFL page.