Eagles release a former 1st-round pick … 29 years after he played his last game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles released one of their former first-round picks on Thursday.
One who hadn’t played a snap in 29 years.
In a bizarre roster transaction, the Eagles formally waived one-time first-round pick Bernard Williams, who was an All-Rookie offensive tackle in 1994 but was suspended for six games in July of 1995 after a positive marijuana test, then suspended again that October for the remainder of the season.
He never played an NFL snap after his rookie year.
Williams never applied for reinstatement to the NFL and has remained on the NFL’s suspended list for nearly three decades.
According to an Eagles spokesman, NFL officials contacted the Eagles recently and explained that they were clearing out decades-old players on various reserve lists when Williams’ name surfaced. Since the Eagles had never released Williams, he was still technically a member of the team.
The Eagles never bothered to release him and there was never really a reason to. He wasn’t getting paid, he wasn’t gaining pension credit, he didn’t count against the roster. He was a forgotten guy on an obscure reserve list, and it’s likely current Eagles brass didn’t even know he was still technically an Eagle.
Williams’ career began with so much promise.
He was the 14th player taken in the 1994 draft — the Eagles’ last first-round pick out of Georgia until Jordan Davis — and had an outstanding rookie year. He’s one of six Eagles first-round picks to start every game as a rookie in the last 40 years. The others are Tra Thomas, Corey Simon, Lane Johnson, Carson Wentz and DeVonta Smith.
The Eagles drafted Kansas State offensive lineman Barrett Brooks in the second round in 1995 because they knew there was a chance Williams might get suspended. Brooks wound up starting all 16 games in 1995 and enjoyed an 11-year NFL career.
Williams went on to play for the British…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-release-former-1st-round-034802487.html
Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia
Publish date : 2023-11-17 03:48:02
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