Bulls Jay Williams career may be over after crash...

Journeyman · Jun 20, 2003

CHICAGO (June 20) -- Chicago Bulls guard Jay Williams was recuperating Friday following surgery to repair injuries sustained when he crashed his week-old motorcycle.

The Bulls wouldn't comment on the extent of Williams' injuries, and his family didn't return phone calls from the Associated Press on Friday. But a source close to Williams, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said while the injuries were not life-threatening, they do jeopardize the 21-year-old's playing career.

"The last thing on our minds right now is basketball and the foremost thought on our minds is that of Jay's health,'' Bulls general manager John Paxson said in a statement Friday.

"We respect the privacy of the family and as time goes on we will be waiting for the family and doctors to report to us on Jay's status.''

Williams was riding a new Yamaha sportbike that he had purchased last week when it slammed into a pole Thursday afternoon on the north side of Chicago. The impact broke one of his legs, and a witness said she saw Williams laying about 10 feet from where his bike came to rest.

Teammate Marcus Fizer said he had warned Williams of the potential dangers of riding a motorcycle.

"I told him before, that may not be something that you want to do in your career at this time. Any number of things can happen to you,'' Fizer said Friday. "I tell all these young guys who like to ride motorcycles that. A lot of them still do it, though.''

After the crash Williams was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. A spokeswoman at the hospital on Friday referred all inquiries to the Bulls.

Paxson and coach Bill Cartwright visited Williams on Friday. Neither returned messages left by the AP.

"I'm not worried about the team or what this does for our future,'' Cartwright told the Chicago Tribune. "I'm just worried about the severity of his injury for his career. We just have to wait and see. Our thoughts are with him.''

Chicago Police spokesman Wayne Frisbie said officers have been unable to interview Williams because the hospital is denying them access to him.

Williams was the No. 2 pick last June out of Duke, where he was the AP college player of the year in 2002 and a two-time All-American. He averaged 9.5 points last season, and was a second-team All-Rookie selection.

Great things were expected of Williams, who was believed to be the most NBA-ready of all the draft picks. He backed that up early in the season, recording his first career triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 14 rebounds on Nov. 11, 2002 against the New Jersey Nets.

It was the first triple-double by a Chicago Bull since Michael Jordan in April 1997.

But Williams struggled much of the season, eventually losing his starting spot to Jamal Crawford. Williams finished strong, shooting better than 60 percent from the field in six of his last seven games when he was paired with Crawford in the backcourt, and he vowed to build on that momentum in his second season.

"I'm kind of in shock,'' Crawford told the Tribune. "Jay and I were really looking forward to playing together and making some noise next season. Like everybody else on the team, I just hope he's OK and recovers quickly.''

06/20/03 20:23 EDT

Journey wire

TheGeneral+ · Jun 20, 2003

Head Coach Fran Papasedero Dies in Auto Accident.
Memorial Service on Monday

Orlando Predators Head Coach Fran Papasedero, who recently guided the Predators to a league-best 12-4 regular season record in the recently completed Arena Football League season, died late Thursday night in an automobile accident. Orlando Police said that Papasedero was killed when he lost control of his car and was ejected as it rolled over several times.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 23 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 6200 South Orange Blossom Trail. Viewing will be from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. A non-denominational prayer service will be begin at noon.

In lieu of flowers and cards, the family has asked that donations be sent to the “Fran Papasedero Memorial Trust Fund.” Proceeds will benefit Fran’s two-year-old daughter Vivian, who survies.

Donations may be made to any Orlando branch of AmSouth Bank. Donations can also be mailed or dropped off to the Orlando Predators office.

Checks should be made payable to the: Fran Papasedero Memorial Fund, c/o: Keli Davis, 4901 Vineland Ave., Suite 150, Orlando, FL 32811.

“Fran lived life to the fullest,” Predators quarterback Jay Gruden said. “You always liked being around him because he would light up a room by just walking into it. It’s going to be incredibly hard for this entire organization to overcome this tragedy. All we ask is for our fans and the Orlando Community to pray for Fran and his family.”

“Off the field, Fran was a generous, caring and fun-loving man,” said Arena Football League Commissioner David Baker. “But when it came to winning, he was as fierce a competitor as there was in the AFL. Our sympathies go out to Fran’s family, the Orlando Predators, and to all those whose lives were touched by this great man. We are thankful for the impact he had on the game and our league. He will be deeply missed.”

Papasedero, 34, replaced Jay Gruden as Predators Head Coach when Gruden returned to play quarterback for the Predators. Papasedero had served four years as an assistant under Gruden.

In two seasons at the helm, Orlando Predators Head Coach Fran Papasedero has established himself as one of the top young coaches in the Arena Football League.

Papasedero guided the Predators to a 12-4 season in 2003 — securing a first round playoff bye for Orlando. Orlando would then defeat New York in the first round of the playoffs, before bowing out in the semifinals to Tampa Bay, 60-50.

Receiving votes for 2003 AFL Coach of the Year honors, Papasedero guided the Predators to a three-way tie with Tampa Bay and San Jose for the best record in the Arena Football League despite having to start the season without his top two receivers (Siaha Burley and Clif Dell), star lineman BJ Cohen and Curtis Eason, and his top two fullbacks (Tommy Dorsey and Duke Pettijohn). In addition, he had to hold his team together when starting quarterback Jay Gruden was knocked out of commission for six weeks with a severe ankle injury.

“In addition to being a great guy, a loving father, and friend, I want all Arena fans to realize that Fran was also a great football coach,” Team Captain Ernest Allen said. “He understood what we went through and he got the most out of us.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the Predators were destined to win a championship under Fran,” Predators public relations director Dan Pearson said. “Our players responded to his leadership and even and defeat never gave up. We lost a great coach today, but more importantly we lost a great friend.”

The 2003 success comes on the heels of his 2002 rookie campaign, where the Predators overcame a slow start to capture a Southern Division championship and advance all the way to the Arena Football League semifinals.

As Predators Head Coach, Papasedero has compiled a 22-13 record (.629). His 19-11 regular season record currently ranks 7th on the Arena Football League’s all-time list for career winning percentage and fourth among active coaches (minimum of 10 victories).

Orlando’s nine wins in his first season put Papasedero in some exclusive company. He is the only active AFL Head Coach to win nine games in his first season and he joins former Tampa Bay Coach Fran Curci, former New Jersey Coach John Hufnagel, former Tampa Coach Lary Kuharich, and former Preds coaches Perry Moss and Jay Gruden as one of only six coaches in AFL history to post nine wins in their first season of coaching.

Papasedero began his Arena Football League career as a lineman for the Albany Firebirds in 1993. He would play five seasons, making stops at Massachusetts (1994), St. Louis (1995-96) and Nashville (1997). During his career, he had 105 tackles with 10.5 quarterback sacks. Offensively, he caught nine passes for 56 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

After retiring as a player with Nashville in 1997, Papasedero began his coaching career in Orlando as Gruden’s line coach. It was in that capacity that Papasedero earned a reputation for taking young players and molding them into outstanding AFL lineman. BJ Cohen, Rich McKenzie, Ernest Allen, Curtis Eason, EJ Burt and Jon McCall are just a few of the players to blossom under Papasedero’s tutoring. In addition to his coaching duties, Papasedero worked for the Predators marketing department for two years during the off-season as a marketing representative.

During the course of his first three years, Papasedero added several off-the-field duties to his resume -- taking control of several day-to-day administrative duties. Prior to the 2001 season, Papasedero assumed the duties of Director of Player Personnel, Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach. In his role as Director of Player Personnel, Papasedero handled scouting and player evaluations for Gruden.

In four seasons on the staff, Papasedero helped the Predators to a 43-23 record (.652 winning percentage), four trips to the AFL playoffs, three ArenaBowl appearances and a pair of world championships (1998 and 2000). Counting his four seasons as Gruden’s Assistant, the Predators have compiled an overall record of 65-36 (.629).

Papasedero played four seasons at defensive tackle for Springfield College (Mass.), where he earned All-America honors and was named Male Athlete of the Year at Springfield as a senior. He attended NFL mini-camp with the New York Giants for two seasons (1992-93) and also went to training camp with the New York Jets in 1994. Papasedero holds a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in Business Management. He was the father of a young daughter, Vivian (2).

http://www.orlandopredators.net/news/?id=190&PHPSESSID=06df5a1e2e828cce87e368d5a669341e