Turnover In Tampa Bay

Bell's poor showing in 1977 put pressure on McKay to draft another Heisman winner, Earl Campbell, in 1978. Instead, McKay traded the No. 1 pick in the draft to Houston for an unknown tight end (Giles) and four draft choices, one of which he used to select Williams. McKay made Williams a starter in the first game of his first year and has stuck with him ever since. Williams has such a powerful arm that he forgets to follow through with his body and constantly overthrows his receivers, which helps explain his 41.8% pass-completion average. Around Tampa Bay the joke is that Williams is the only person capable of overthrowing the Ayatollah.

Late this season, when Williams threw nine interceptions in two consecutive losses, McKay was under media and fan pressure to bench him for the final game, which the Bucs had to win to be champions of the NFC Central and gain the playoffs. McKay did not succumb, and Williams led the Bucs to victory. "If we don't win with Doug Williams, we'll have to start all over," said McKay. "I don't intend to start all over. I'm already the oldest coach in the league."

McKay has a reputation for being distant with his players, but Williams feels very close to him. "There are not too many people who would have let me play that last game against Kansas City," he says. "That's why Coach McKay has been a winner all his life. He sticks with what he believes in."