Packers’ Williams Pleads No Contest

Green Bay Packer cornerback Tyrone Williams pleaded no contest in Lincoln, Neb., to charges stemming from a shooting incident that occurred two years ago.

Williams, a two-time All-Big Eight Conference cornerback at Nebraska, will be sentenced Nov. 19 on a felony charge of unlawfully discharging a firearm and to a misdemeanor assault charge.

His plea reflected a deal with prosecutors who agreed to reduce a second felony firearms charge to a misdemeanor assault.

Police reports said Williams fired two shots into the rear quarter panel of a car driven by University of Nebraska-Lincoln student Brooke Bohac. Kevin Porter, who was then a player for the New York Jets, was a passenger. The shooting occurred Jan. 30, 1994, in Lincoln.

The weapons charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. The misdemeanor assault is punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. The judge also could put Williams on probation.

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A groin strain that sidelined quarterback Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers for much of Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams should heal in time for him to start at Carolina in two weeks. The 49ers have a bye week.

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Carolina Panther quarterback Kerry Collins will undergo an MRI exam after suffering a sprained left knee in Sunday’s 22-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The Panthers have a bye this week.

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Chicago Bear tight end Keith Jennings is expected to play Sunday after sitting out a game because of a groin strain. Defensive back Anthony Marshall is out because of a groin injury.

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Boomer Esiason is the 12th starter at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in eight-plus seasons. Back-up Kent Graham would like to be No. 13.

Esiason has not thrown a touchdown pass in two regular season and four exhibition games, but Coach Vince Tobin said he will stick with Esiason against New England this week.

The Cardinals waived tight end Oscar McBride, who started 10 games last season as a rookie, and activated third-round pick Johnny McWilliams to replace him.

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The Minnesota Vikings are still investigating Coach Dennis Green’s highly publicized 1992 affair and will wait until that work is done before discussing the matter with their head coach.

Green was expected to meet with the team’s 10 owners Monday to discuss the situation, which became public last week with the revelation that he paid his former lover to have an abortion.

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Paul Gruber, who has made 124 consecutive starts at tackle, will sit out at least the next two weeks after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during Sunday’s 21-6 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Rookie Jason Odom, a fourth-round pick in the April draft, will start at left tackle for the winless Buccaneers.