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Williams leaves Grambling for Bucs

TAMPA BAY, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Doug Williams has left his alma mater of Grambling State to return to his original NFL team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  The Buccaneers on Thursday lured Williams away to hire him as a personnel executive.

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  The first black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, Williams began his career with the Buccaneers in 1978 and led them to the NFC championship game a year later. But he left the Bucs in 1983 due to a bitter contract dispute with then-owner Hugh Culverhouse. and signed with the United States Football League's Oklahoma Outlaws.

"This is a great day for me to be able to come back to where I started," Williams said at an afternoon news conference.

  But the day wasn't so hot for Grambling State, which did not expect to lose its football coach.  

 "It's a big shock, a huge shock," said Grambling State spokesman Peter Forest.  "This is a huge loss to Grambling, no question."  

 Williams succeeded the legendary Eddie Robinson as Grambling State football coach in 1998 and compiled a 52-18 record. Williams led the Tigers to three consecutive Southwestern  Athletic Conference titles from 2000-02.

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