When filmmaker Sean Pamphilon released his audio bomb of Gregg Williams riling up the New Orleans Saints before the team's NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the San Francisco 49ers, one phrase stuck with us:
"Kill the head and the body will die."
Those words became synonymous with Williams and his heat-seeking semantics, but the Saints weren't the only team to preach this message.
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The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs soaked up the phrase all season long.
In an eagle-eye catch by Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, a screen grab from the 2008 NFL Films production "Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL" clearly shows "KILL THE HEAD & THE BODY WILL DIE" painted on the wall of the Chiefs' defensive line room.
Williams, who didn't invent the phrase, was the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator that season. The Chiefs were led by Herm Edwards, with Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator and Tim Krumrie coaching the defensive line.
Saints players have argued this kind of fiery speech came easy to Williams. They say the coach spoke in hyperbole ("We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head"), but that his words never compelled them to injure opponents.
