The Eagles released a former first-round pick… 29 years after his final game as…..

Bernard Williams, Philadelphia’s first-round selection in 1994, was still technically an Eagle up until Thursday. By Reuben Frank, Eagles Insider • Published November 16, 2023 • Last updated November 16, 2023 at 10:48 pm

The Eagles released one of their former first-round picks on Thursday.

 

One who hadn’t played a snap in 29 years.

 

In a bizarre roster transaction, the Eagles formally waived one-time first-round pick Bernard Williams, who was an All-Rookie offensive tackle in 1994 but was suspended for six games in July of 1995 after a positive marijuana test, then suspended again that October for the remainder of the season.

After his debut season, he never played another NFL action. Williams never applied for reinstatement and has been on the NFL’s suspended list for nearly three decades.

According to an Eagles spokeswoman, NFL officials recently contacted the team and indicated that they were removing decades-old players from various reserve lists when Williams’ name came up. Williams remained technically a member of the Eagles because he had never been discharged.

The Eagles never bothered releasing him, and there was never a good reason to. He wasn’t getting paid, he wasn’t earning pension credit, and he didn’t count on the roster. He was a forgotten person on an obscure reserve list, and it’s possible that current Eagles leadership had no idea he was still formally an Eagle. Williams’ career began with much potential.

He was the 14th player selected in the 1994 draft, the Eagles’ last first-round pick from Georgia until Jordan Davis, and had an exceptional rookie season. He is one of six Eagles first-round picks who have started every game as a rookie in the last four decades. The others are Tra Thomas, Corey Simon, Lane Johnson, Carson Wentz, and DeVonta Smith. In 1995, the Eagles chose Kansas State offensive guard Barrett Brooks in the second round because they expected Williams to be suspended. Brooks ended up starting all 16 games in 1995 and had an 11-year NFL career.

Williams went on to play for the Canadian Football League’s British Columbia Lions in 2000, the XFL’s Memphis Maniax in 2001, the Arena League’s Detroit Fury in 2001 and 2002, and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 2003 and 2004. However, his final NFL game was on Christmas Eve 1994, when the Eagles were defeated 33-30 by the Bengals at Riverfront Stadium in Rich Kotite’s final game as head coach.

As training camp began at West Chester in late July 1995, new Eagles owner Jeff Lurie said NFL confidentiality rules prevented him from discussing Williams, but speaking generally about suspended players, he said, “In any sport, I think you’ve got to be disappointed in any athlete who doesn’t do everything he can to maximise his God-given abilities for the organisation, teammates, and, most importantly himself.” Lurie lambasted former owner Norman Braman for the organisation picking a player like Williams despite red signs he believed they should have spotted.