William Michael Withycombe (born November 18, 1964) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

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 (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...

who played three seasons in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL), 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

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) for three different teams after being selected by the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

in the fifth round of the 1988 NFL draft. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at Fresno State University. He was a part of the Stallions'

Grey Cup The Grey Cup () 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 between the winners ...

victory in 1995. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 1995. On April 17, 2017, while in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, 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 Players of Canadian football from California 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 Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Meridian, Mississippi Players of Canadian football from Mississippi People from Lemoore, California Players of American football from Kings County, California Delta Upsilon members {{Canadianfootball-offensive-lineman-stub