After shaking the rust of his bowling skills Wednesday, General Manager Rich McKay agreed to Bowl with the Pros on Saturday
Thanks to a nifty little 212 on Wednesday, wide receiver Karl Williams has unofficially been anointed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 'Top Bowler' by Head Coach Jon Gruden. Despite struggling with back spasms, Williams rolled his 212 during a surprise outing to Crown Lanes organized in secret by Gruden, thereby earning the undying admiration – okay, maybe the grudging respect – of his Buccaneer teammates.
Williams will hit the lanes again on Saturday afternoon, along with a handful of teammates, and this time there is much more to be gained. At the second annual Bowl with the Pro's Celebrity Fundraiser at Regal Lanes in Tampa, Williams and the Buccaneer bowling crew will raise money for two very worthwhile causes: the NFL Youth Education Town (NFL/YET) Centers in Tampa Bay and the Brian Lewis Memorial Scholarship.
Hundreds of underprivileged youth in the Tampa Bay area will get the opportunity to bowl with Williams and other sports and media celebrities at the Bowl with the Pros event, established by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), on Saturday, June 15, from 1 to 6 p.m. Williams and linebacker Shelton Quarles, another ace bowler, helped arrange the Bucs' contingent for the event, finding several more volunteers during Wednesday's outing with the team.
Among the Buccaneers joining Williams and Quarles and gunning for Williams' title will be General Manager Rich "7-10" McKay, LB Derrick "Open Frame" Brooks, CB Brian "Gutter" Kelly, LB Al "Creeper" Singleton and CB Dwight "Foot Fault" Smith. Buccaneer alumni Lee Roy Selmon and Doug Williams will also participate, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders will be on hand to offer encouragement.
NFL/YET Centers provide programs and activities for at-risk children. They offer a positive alternative for children through programs in personal development, education assistance, life skills training and recreation. The NFL established the program in 1993. The Tampa Bay centers were established as a legacy project of Super Bowl XXXV held in Tampa January 2001.
Celebrity bowling tickets are available for $50.00. Participants receive a bowling pass, T-shirt, refreshments and a raffle prize ticket. Donations made payable to NFL Players Association Tampa Bay should be sent to Bowl with the Pros c/o NFLPA P.O. Box 26085, Tampa, FL, 33623. Call 727-821-6323 to reserve tickets.
