William Gaines (American football)

William Albert Gaines (born June 20, 1971) is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Gaines played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins of the NFL.

Early years
Gaines was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1971. He attended Lanier High School in Jackson, and played high school football for the Lanier Bulldogs.

College career
Gaines received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1990 to 1993. He was a member of the Gators teams that won Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships in 1991 and 1993. As a senior team captain in 1993, Gaines was a first-team All-SEC selection, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage."

Professional career
The Miami Dolphins drafted Gaines in the fifth round (147th pick overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played for the Dolphins for a single season in 1994. He played three seasons for the Washington Redskins from 1995 to 1997. In his four-season NFL career, Gaines started twenty-four of fifty-two NFL games in which he played, and recorded two quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and sixty tackles.