Gregg Williams' Deceitful Past Has Destroyed His Coaching Career | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Although the "final" suspensions from the New Orleans Saints' "player bounty" scandal have been handed down, the firestorm of controversy surrounding it seems to have taken on a life of its' own. The coach who received the harshest suspension of any person involved in the program that allegedly paid incentives for knocking opposing players from games is once again at the center of the maelstrom. The more seedy details that come to light, the less chance there is for that coach to ever see an NFL sideline again.

Former New Orleans Saints and current St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, received an indefinite vacation courtesy of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Given that Williams made no effort to appeal that suspension and the damning "kill the head" audio tape that was recently released, it would seem that there's little doubt regarding his involvement in the incredibly ill-advised scheme.

The news just got worse for Williams on Monday, as the declaration that Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove submitted to the NFL regarding his involvement in "bountygate" became public. In that declaration, Hargrove states that he was instructed to all but lie to league investigators according to Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

First, the bad news for the Saints: Hargrove's detailed account of how he was instructed by coaches Gregg Williams and Joe Vitt to "play dumb" and deny the existence of bounties and a bounty program depicts the Saints as a team that knew it was breaking the rules and was willing to lie to cover it up.

Even worse for Williams personally, the statement also claimed that Hargrove was instructed personally by Williams to lie to NFL investigators, as the longtime defensive coordinator apparently felt he was the victim of a league witch hunt according to a report in USA Today.

In the statement, Hargrove said Williams told him "those (expletives at the NFL) have been trying to get me for years (and if all the Saints) stay on the same page, this will blow over."

However, Hargrove's statement would also seem to indicate that the NFL's evidence (which the league has yet to make completely public) may not be as ironclad as Roger Goodell has led to believe. Although Hargrove admitted to being asked to deny the bounty program's existence, he never specifically admits to either knowing about the program or participating in it.

Also, Triplett's report claims that the league misrepresented what Gregg Williams said to the NFL when interviewed about the scandal, and that Roger Goodell may have painted Williams' statements to best reinforce the severe punishments that the commissioner was preparing to hand down.

According to a source close to Williams, the NFL has also misrepresented what Williams said in interviews with the league. According to the source, Williams never admitted a "bounty program" was in place and that the league "rephrased his statements to satisfy its needs." The source also said Williams never identified any players for their involvement in a pay-for-performance or bounty program.

If nothing else, this information may provide the players and coaches that intend to fight Goodell's suspension with some additional information in what may become a long and messy battle between the NFL and NFLPA. With Williams apparently set to "take his medicine," the larger question becomes what's next for Williams as he tries to rebuild his shattered reputation.

Williams has reportedly been in contact with the NFL in regards to the steps that he must take to eventually be reinstated. St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher has already stated that he would welcome Williams back to the team if/when that were to occur.

However, with every sordid detail that is released regarding Williams' penchant for such practices, dating back nearly a decade to his time as defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins, the stink around him grows. If any more shoes drop, Jeff Fisher may have no choice but to reconsider bringing Williams back. If that's the case it's highly unlikely that another NFL team would touch him with a ten foot pole, given the scrutiny from the NFL and the media that would entail.

It may well be that "bountygate" will prove to be the death knell for the professional career of Gregg Williams, and if that's the case he has only himself to blame.