R.I.P. Dr. Death

[nBoSTP]

I didn't see any other threads about this and just wanted to let my fellow soonerfans know about this.

[Canyonero]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/canyonero/DrDeath.jpg

[Sooner-N-KS]

Oh, man. I'm sorry to hear that. I know he has been dealing with cancer again.

[olevetonahill]

Prayers fer His family

[Frozen Sooner]

:(

[Boomer.....]

R.I.P.

:(

[beer4me]

Dayum sorry to hear this. Was this related to his cancer he had?

[85sooners]

:(

[ouduckhunter]

Oh my, that is too bad! Prayers to his family and friends.

[soonertaylor]

R.I.P. So long to the Sooner Stampede.

[Sooner24]

Jack Mildren, W. T. and now Dr Death. :(

[Mjcpr]

Jack Mildren, W. T. and now Dr Death. :(

And Rick Bryan. :(

RIP, former Sooners.

[msteudem]

He was my favorite Wrestler growing up in the 80's. R.I.P DD.

[Geekboy]

Actually Steve was doing well and was finishing up the chemotherapy and his cancer I heard was actually gone. But then some sudden complications developed and it happened quickly. Don't want to speculate because I can't confirm but I just heard this myself.

Will very much miss him. He was a great guy and it was a privilege to know and work with him.

[boomermagic]

R I P Brother

[Wishboned]

I got a chance to meet him a few years ago. He was speaking through an electrolarynx, but he was one of the most upbeat, nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

[ndpruitt03]

Here's some youtube vids

7VbsPSnPd0I

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[King Crimson]

sad.

big fan of the guy, though could care less about wrestling.

[ndpruitt03]

I was a fan of Wrestling when I was a kid and I remember him because of the Oklahoma connection. Didn't even know he was a former player till years later.

[ndpruitt03]

Here's a couple more photos I found off ebay.

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/autographsink/doc2.jpg

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/autographsink/doc1.jpg

On another note why sell photos on ebay? You can just copy them for free.

[Mjcpr]

Who was in charge of Barry's hats back in the day, Les Miles?

[OUHOMER]

SAD DEAL RIP

[stoopified]

God surely loves His Sooners,he has called so many home recently.

[goingoneight]

I remember just recently hearing his name in the news for something, but it wasn't about him being ill. Sad, sad deal. I know there's a lot of great Sooners up there to keep him company.

Don't we now have a DB named Steve Williams?

[Sooner Eclipse]

Who was in charge of Barry's hats back in the day, Les Miles?

Thinking the same thing. :)

Happy Trails, DD. :( You're one of my all time favorites.
Prayers for your family.

[PLaw]

Jack Mildren, W. T. and now Dr Death. :(

Bad year.

Peace out, Dr. Death. Thanks for the memories.

Prayers out to the family.

BOOMER

[ndpruitt03]

Mildren died a year and a half ago. It doesn't seem like that long ago.

[IslandSooner]

R.I.P.

[StoopTroup]

RIP Steve. Thanks for the memories!

[OUmillenium]

Wow, just read the news. I also thought he was doing OK after his recent recurrence. Here is what I read on another site...

From Daivid Meltzer:

We are sorry to report the death of Steve "Dr. Death" Williams, an international star who was considered one of the top wrestlers in the world during the late 80s and early 90s, after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Williams, known in his heyday as one of the physically toughest men ever to compete in the industry, was 49. He passed away last night. He had been battling the disease for a number of years, first apparently beating it even with great odds against him. It came back this year and his health had worsened in the last few months.

Williams formed two of the world's best tag teams with the late Terry Gordy and with Ted DiBiase Sr., as well as a notable team with current WWE Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. He was in particular a major star in the 90s for All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was recruited into pro wrestling by Bill Watts and was the 1982 Rookie of the Year.

Watts discovered him at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a star lineman on the football team and a four-time All-American heavyweight wrestler. Many of his peers in wrestling over the years had believed if he had not played college football and concentrated on wrestling, that he would have been a strong candidate for an Olympic gold medal in 1984 or 1988.

[VA Sooner]

Rest in peace.

[OUmillenium]

Bill Watts on the passing of Dr. Death...

Steve ‘Dr. Death’ Williams…the bell tolls… December 30, 2009…

Another ‘stud’ has transitioned to be with God in Christ… and one thing ‘I know for sure’…

Jesus Christ is Steve’s Hero… so he no longer is having to fight the cancer… Steve right now is in Heaven’s rest…forever… and he was met there by His Savior…Jesus Christ…

He fought that fight against cancer…like Doc fought everything that challenged him… with the heart of a champion… and he thought he had overcome it…when he went back to MD Anderson at the 5 year anniversary for what he felt would be ‘his last check-up’ that would pronounce him cancer-free…but instead was told…’it was back’…

And he set out to ‘beat it again’… he so wanted to live for his son…

Scandar Akbar called to tell me he was just with Doc two weeks ago back east… and Ann from WWE also called…and she saw him there too…

There is to be a ‘reunion’ of the wrestlers from the Golden Years at OU…on Jan. 22nd… and Doc would have loved that… he will be missed…

At my age… it seems like we are losing so many of our peers… but to hear of one ‘younger transitioning’ is really sad…

Yes…knowing Doc is with the Lord… is to know in Christ we have victory over death…but still we mourn his passing…

I remember when he was a freshman at OU…and my good friend…Stan Abel… his wrestling coach there…called me and said…you must get down here and meet Steve…he will be a fabulous ‘professional wrestler’ once he has finished his eligibility here at OU…

And …he ‘ALREADY’ has ‘the name’… of ‘Dr. Death’…

He was named by his teammates and classmates in high school in Colorado…when he was wrestling…and had broken his nose…so wore a ‘hockey mask’…and they started calling him Dr. Death…

He also played football for Barry Switzer’s OU Sooners…and made the All-Big Eight team as a guard… and later played in the World Football League professionally in NJ.

But as an amateur wrestler at OU…he was a 4 time All-American!

I saw him compete at the NCAA Championships in Iowa his senior year… (He had injured his sternum in the Nebraska game in football…so was limited in his workouts that wrestling season)… but he beat the reigning and returning Heavyweight Champion…Banack in the semi-finals…and was ‘out-pointed’ by Baumgardner in the finals… (Baumgardner went on to become an Olympic Champion too…and had a long and illustrious amateur wrestling career)…while Doc went ‘pro’ in both football….and then in wrestling…breaking-in as my protégé in Mid-South Wrestling…

Another amateur wrestling memory…Doc had played with the Sooner football team at a ‘Bowl Game’…and flown right into Baton Rouge for a wrestling match against LSU…

Now ‘wrestling shape’ and ‘football shape’ are two completely different things… and being in great wrestling shape is much more demanding…especially in just the constant ‘gripping’ of your opponent…those muscles wear out so fast… plus the aerobics …as there ‘is no time between plays…

I was there that night…and figured ‘Doc’ would just do ‘as good as he could’…for the team…since he was NOT in wrestling shape…

But Doc toughed it out against a good Heavyweight…and beat him! And that impressed me…

His career in ‘the pro-wrestling business’ is legendary…

But…his heart too was as big as he is… and he even saved his friend…Bam-Bam Terry Gordy…once in Japan…when Bam-Bam was overdosing on some substance…and he even got Bam-Bam into the gym…and working out…and helped motivate him to fight his substance abuse problems for a time… Doc would ‘give of himself’…

My last time with him at OU was when we presented him with a plaque on the 50 yard line of an OU-Missouri football game…and Barry Switzer loved it…he was a true friend to his players too…(I’ll try to attach one of the pictures we took that day)…

Now…life is a ‘series of snap-shots’…as ‘we make this journey’… and Doc was ‘brought to the Lord’…and confessed Jesus Christ as His Savior! And he loves Christ… and his faith was strong…and so encouraged so many…

And when he first ‘got sick’…he trusted God in that challenge too…

That measures Doc in what is truly the most important way…his faith… He is now in the Hall-of-Faith in Heaven…and already reunited with his dad…and those he loved who preceded him…

***Just got a call from Doc’s brother Jeff…and here are the details…

Doc’s ‘opening in his throat’ had increased to where it was about an inch and a half… so Jeff said you could ‘see inside his throat’… and the doctors had told him…that it was so close to major arteries and organs…that ‘it could happen at anytime’… and that if a major artery ruptured…the bleeding could be difficult to control…or get under control in time…

Apparently about 1 AM…he was bleeding…and trying to ‘clear his throat’ so he ‘could breathe’… he was suffocating…

He came into his mother’s room…she is now 87 years old… and she called 911 on her neck monitor… and Doc fainted…

The emergency medical team resuscitated him three times… but the third time ‘his heart gave out’… (He was such a fighter!)

His son…Wyndom Carlton Williams…was spared seeing this…because he was spending the night with a friend…and there was nothing this 17-year-old boy could have done… He so loves his dad…they were so close…

Jeff… is naturally really shook-up…as he and Steve were so close too… and said he would let me know as soon as the arrangements are made for the funeral…

He too rejoices that Steve is with the Lord right now…

He said Steve wanted to be cremated…and his ashes scattered in the Rocky Mountains where his father’s ashes were scattered…

And now my friends… I too will close this letter… and spend some time with my Lord praising Him for ‘making provision’ for all of us who will but accept Him… that we do NOT die as in some void…but it is a ‘transition’ to be with Jesus…

I do NOT fully understand or grasp God’s perfect timing…but this ‘I trust’…that ‘His timing is perfect’… and Heaven is such a ‘better place’… and my dear friend Steve is there now…

Rom 8:1
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
NASB

John 3:16-18
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
NASB

As the apostle Paul wrote:

Phil 1:21-23 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
NASB

Phil 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
NASB

As our ‘being baptized symbolizes’ our dying to this life and resurrecting with Christ to Heaven’s rest…
Rom 6:8-10
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
NASB

Matt 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
NASB

Ps 118:24
24 This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
NASB

Let each of us now take this time to tell those we love of our heart for them… because we never know when they too will be called…

In Him… saved by His merciful grace…


Bill Watts

[Taxman71]

Awesome post. Steve's matches against osu are stuff legends are made of.

[Sooner24]

And Rick Bryan. :(

RIP, former Sooners.

How could I forget Ricky? :O

[buffalobill989]

dam shame. used to love to go watch him and cowboy at the convention center & pavillion for wrestlin matches as we were growing up

[oupride]

My son and I met Steve at the Switzer Salute in 2005. Awesome individual. Thanks for the post.

[Jacie]

A frat brother introduced me to him and I got to shake his hand in the lobby of the Anatole in Dallas the night of the OU/TX game in 1982 . . .

[loozianna sooner]

I remember him from Mid-South wrestling with his "Oklahoma Stampede" move. When he was introduced at halftime at the '05 Spring Game there was a great roar of DOCTOR DEATH! from the stands.

[d.stOUgh]

To Steve's' family...

[d.stOUgh]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/canyonero/DrDeath.jpg

To Steve's Family...

Steve gave me that jersey on that photo.

please contact me at [email protected] or 334-577-4409.

Steve once told me that my Sooner scrap book about him, was the best he'd seen at that time.

I've known Steve for many years. He was and is my friend.

I have pictures and articles about him going back years.

He was at my house many, many times.

I love him...

I can send you pictures of Steve I know you don't have...and many memories of him.

[email protected]

334-577-4409

GOD BLESS AND COMFORT YOU ALL...

dave stough

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Rick Bryan, Steve Williams... two of my childhood fav's. Those were two of the mainstays in the "bad ol' days" of (God forbid) 3- and 4- loss Switzer teams of the early 80's. Both players were awesome.

Both turned out, from all reports I have read, to be pretty damn fine men.

God rest you, merry gentlemen!

[MamaMia]

He had a good heart. :(