William Michael Withycombe (born November 18, 1964 in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

) is a former professional

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

who played three seasons in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

, mainly for the

Baltimore Stallions The Baltimore Stallions (known officially as the "Baltimore Football Club" and previously as the "Baltimore CFL Colts" in its inaugural season) were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, which played ...

. Previously he played four seasons in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

for three different teams. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Fresno State University California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bache ...

. He was a part of the Stallions'

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

victory in 1995. He won the

CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award The Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award is annually awarded to the best offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Leo Dandurand Trophy winner from the East Division, and the DeMarco-Becket Memor ...

in 1995. On April 17, 2017, while in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, Withycombe received media attention for stepping in to protect a female neighbor and her daughter from a man who was threatening to kill them.Callahan, Brian.
Kilt-wearing football player to the rescue after alleged attack in Las Vegas
, KTNV.com, April 17, 2017. Withycombe, who had been sleeping in his home, was awakened by the sound of shouting. He put on the first garment at hand - a kilt - and headed outside to assess the situation. After Withycombe asked the intruder to leave, the man took a swing at him, so Withycombe tackled him and restrained him until police arrived on the scene. News reports indicate that Withycombe's unusual attire was a source of great amusement for the responding officers.

References

1964 births Living people American football offensive linemen American players of Canadian football Baltimore Stallions players BC Lions players Canadian football offensive linemen Cincinnati Bengals players Fresno State Bulldogs football players Montreal Alouettes players New York Jets players Sportspeople from Meridian, Mississippi Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Mississippi People from Lemoore, California Players of American football from California {{Canadianfootball-offensive-lineman-stub