While the rest of the football world vilified Gregg Williams, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher patiently waited for another opportunity to hire his friend as defensive coordinator.
Indications are that has happened now. Williams, who had left the New Orleans Saints after the 2012 season to work for Fisher in the same capacity in St. Louis, instead received a yearlong suspension for his role in the Saints' "Bountygate" scandal.
Audio evidence was made public revealing that Williams was instructing his defensive players to intentionally hurt opponents to take them out of games.
After his suspension ended, Williams landed a job as a senior assistant defensive coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2013.
ESPN was the first report on Wednesday that the Rams were set to hire Williams immediately after releasing a statement that they had fired defensive coordinator Tim Walton, and later in the day CBSSports.com reported that the Rams gave Williams a multi-year deal.
Williams was Fisher's defensive coordinator from 1997-2000 when Fisher coached the Titans and led the team to Super Bowl XXXIV where they lost to, ironically enough, the St. Louis Rams.
Speculation was rampant in April of 2012 that Williams' coaching career was over when director Sean Pamphilon, who was making an ESPN "30 for 30"video of the New Orleans Saints' ALS sufferer Steve Gleason, released a shocking recording of Williams instructing his defense on how to attack San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore.
"We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head," Williams was recorded as saying. "We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways.
"Kill the head and the body will die. Kill the head and the body will die."
Williams later apologized for his actions and followed all the conditions he needed to meet before he could apply for reinstatement. That happened at the beginning of 2013.
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