William Albert Gaines (born June 20, 1971) is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Gaines played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
Early years
Gaines was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1971. He attended Lanier High School in Jackson, 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. He was a member of the Gators teams that won Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships in 1991 and 1993. 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."
Professional career
The Miami Dolphins drafted Gaines in the fifth round (147th pick overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played for the Dolphins for a single season in . He played three seasons for the Washington Redskins from to . 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.
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
Bibliography
Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). . Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). . Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). . McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). . Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). .
