Former Bucs Star Mike Williams Died Of Bacterial Sepsis, Records Show

Former professional football star Mike Williams died of a rare type of bacterial sepsis and related complications just days after he was removed from life support following injuries sustained in an industrial accident in August, authorities confirmed Thursday .

Williams died Sept. 12 in hospice care at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, just around the corner from the stadium where he once wowed crowds as a receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was 36.

His death was caused by “bacterial sepsis with cerebral abscesses and necrotizing lobar pneumonia due to multiple dental caries and retained tooth roots,” according to an initial summary case report from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department reviewed by the Tampa Bay Times.

This is the only case of this specific cause of death in county records dating back to the mid-1980s, a department spokesman said.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease – the narrowing or hardening of the arteries – is listed as a triggering factor.

Related: Tampa police investigating circumstances surrounding NFL star Mike Williams' death

The announcement is the latest chapter in a painful series of events that marked Williams' final weeks, including concerns from friends and family that visitors brought Williams unprescribed medication during his hospital stay, complicating his recovery.

Tampa police had launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Williams' death. It is now closed, a police spokesman confirmed to The Times on Thursday.

Williams' complete autopsy and toxicology results are pending. The initial case summary details that Williams' next of kin described him as “daily consuming” Kratom, a green psychoactive powder made from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree.

There is no evidence of foul play in the coroner's notes. Williams' manner of death is listed as “natural.”

Tierney Lyle displays a photo of former Bucs player Mike Williams along with her daughter Mya Williams, 8, as they prepare for a memorial service and balloon release for Mike Williams before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game outside Raymond James Stadium on September 25 in Tampa. Williams, a former NFL wide receiver, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills from 2010 to 2014 [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

Dental bacterial sepsis is a preventable condition and therefore not a common complication in adults, said Dr. Cesar Augusto Migliorati, a professor at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, told the Times.

“Poor oral health, tooth decay and oral infections can cause infections elsewhere in the body, which in this case appears to be the explanation for the patient,” Migliorati wrote in an email.

“Oral health impacts overall, systemic health,” he continued, “and problems that go untreated in our teeth, gums and roots can lead to problems in other parts of the body and other organs.”

A fourth-round pick out of Syracuse in 2010, Williams burst onto the Tampa Bay scene as a rookie with 65 receptions and 964 receiving yards and led the team with 11 touchdowns.

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After four seasons with the Bucs, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills, his hometown. He ended his NFL career by spending part of the 2016 offseason with the Chiefs.

He ended up in the hospital in August after he was injured while working for Brandon-based Exodus Electric Corp. suffered a head injury, the Times previously reported.

On Sept. 1, records show he suffered cardiac arrest.

Tierney Lyle (above) comforts her daughter Mya Williams, 8, after launching a balloon in September. [ JEFFEREE WOO | Times ]

Days later, a Spectrum television station in his hometown of Buffalo incorrectly reported that Williams had died. The news was picked up by media outlets across the country, including the Times.

Lyle, his daughter's mother, woke up to these reports, was devastated and then perplexed when she learned he was still on life support. She found him in a room on the third floor of the hospital, connected to a network of tubes that kept him breathing.

She said she saw him move slightly when he heard the voice of his daughter Mya, who was blinking and crying but unable to move.

He was admitted to hospice on September 7th. He continued breathing on his own for five days before he died.