William Gaines (American football)

For other people named William Gaines, see William Gaines (disambiguation).

William Gaines

No. 93, 95, 96
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1971-06-20) June 20, 1971 (age 53) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	280 lb (127 kg)
Career information
High school:	Lanier (Jackson)
College:	Florida
NFL draft:	1994 / round: 5 / pick: 147
Career history
Miami Dolphins (1994) Washington Redskins (1995–1997) Nashville Kats (1999–2001) Georgia Force (2002) Detroit Fury (2003) Orlando Predators (2004)
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American (1993) First-team All-SEC (1993)
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 72 Sacks: 2.0 Forced fumbles: 72 Stats at Pro Football Reference
Career Arena League statistics
Tackles: 27 Sacks: 2.5 Passes defended: 12 Stats at ArenaFan.com

William Albert Gaines (born June 20, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive lineman for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s. Gaines played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

Early life

Gaines was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1971.^[1] He attended Lanier High School in Jackson,^[2] and played high school football for the Lanier Bulldogs.

College career

Gaines received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1990 to 1993.^[3] He was a member of the Gators teams that won Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships in 1991 and 1993.^[3] As a senior team captain in 1993, Gaines was a first-team All-SEC selection, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage."^[3]

Professional career

The Miami Dolphins drafted Gaines in the fifth round (147th pick overall) of the 1994 NFL draft.^[4] He played for the Dolphins for a single season in 1994.^[5] He played three seasons for the Washington Redskins from 1995 to 1997.^[5] In his four-season NFL career, Gaines started twenty-four of fifty-two NFL games in which he played, and recorded two quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and sixty tackles.^[1]

See also

• Florida Gators football, 1990–99
• List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
• List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
• List of Miami Dolphins players
• List of Washington Redskins players

References

1. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, William Gaines. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
2. databaseFootball.com, Players, William Gaines Archived February 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
3. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 97, 103, 125, 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
4. "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
5. National Football League, Historical Players, William Gaines. Retrieved July 25, 2010.

Bibliography

• Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
• Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
• Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
• McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
• Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.