With the news hitting about former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' bounty scandal hitting full gear, we're hearing more and more players talking about it and how much it entailed. While a bounty system amongst players is rather common, the concerning issue comes from the coaching staff and front office personell participating in and encouraging the activity. Now, news comes from former Buffalo Bills safety Coy Wire who played under Williams, that he was praised for ending former Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Stewart's career. "What Williams did was wrong, and I know that now," Wire told the Buffalo News. "My sense of normalcy was warped. I thought what I was doing was right."
SB Nation Talks Bounties
Wire ended the career of then Detroit Lions running back James Stewart with a clean hit in a 2003 preseason game. Wire had a tough tim justifying the idea of ending a man's career just to get praise heaped upon him by teammates and coaches.
"Now, it's unthinkable that was my reality," Wire told the Buffalo News. "I shattered James Stewart's shoulder, and he never played again. I was showered with praise for that. It's a shame that's how it was. Now I see how wrong that was."
The extent of the punishment for the Saints, who seemed to fully participate in the system, remains to be seen. It's also curious to see if punishment will hit the other stops Williams has had in his career, including his tenure as head coach of the Bills, defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Though reportedly, the Jaguars did not employ a bounty system while Williams was employed here.