Former Miami Dolphins Safety Jarvis Williams Passes Away

Former Miami Dolphins safety Jarvis Williams died last night in his hometown of Palatka, Fla. He was 45.

Although initial reports on the cause of death were conflicting, Williams reportedly died of an acute asthma attack, per the medical examiner.

An All-American safety for the Florida Gators, Williams was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft.

Williams appeared in all but five games in six seasons with the team, through 1993. He recorded 513 tackles and 14 interceptions.

After one season with the Giants in 1994, Williams finished his career with 555 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and one touchdown.

A member of the Florida Gators’ Athletic Hall of Fame, Williams had recently volunteered as a football coach at Interlachen High School in Putnam County.

His son is a sophomore fullback at Jacksonville University.

Williams is the third ex-Dolphins player to pass away in the last month, following linebacker Nick Rogers and defensive tackle Norman Hand .

The Miami Dolphins have also ruled out running back Jeff Wilson, Jr., and cornerback Nik Needham for the game.

The Miami Dolphins announced a couple of roster moves on Saturday as the team prepares for their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers. The moves included bringing a player off injured reserve and elevating a player from the practice squad for the game while officially listing two reserve-listed players as out of the game. Miami and the Panthers are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.

The Dolphins will have offensive lineman Robert Jones available for the game after the team announced they have activated him from the injured reserve list. Jones sustained a knee sprain during the preseason and began the season on the IR. He was designated for return last week, opening a 21-day window for Miami to either activate him or to keep him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year. Bringing Jones back gives Miami depth on the offensive line, where injuries are starting to mount this season. Starting center Connor Williams has been ruled out of Sunday’s game, while Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead landed on IR last week.

An undrafted free agent signed by the Dolphins in 2021, Jones has appeared in 24 games for Miami the last two seasons, including eight starts. He has played both guard and tackle for the team, and his return could prove to be an important addition to Miami’s 53-man roster.