Cadillac Williams expresses gratitude for Auburn players believing in him

Auburn interim head coach Cadillac Williams led the Tigers to their first victory since September this weekend as they defeated Texas A&M 13-10 at home. The former Tiger’s running back and running backs coach was visibly emotional following their win on Saturday, and showed a ton of appreciation for many people following after the game starting with his players.

“I want to thank the players, I mean how awesome are they?” Williams asked. “I challenged them guys to be vulnerable, open your heart, let us in, you’ve got people that care for you, got people that want to see you do good.”

Williams’ strategy worked on Saturday, as his players worked hard for their win, securing an early lead and hanging on to it for the remainder of the game in a hard-fought, defensive battle. He also touched on their struggles prior to the firing of Bryan Harsin, taking accountability for their prior struggles and detailing how he wanted his staff to change things under him.

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“A lot of times it just felt like they didn’t feel that way and at times, like I told my staff when I took this job and I am part of it, we have failed these kids,” Williams explained. “It’s our job to elevate them, to inspire them, to empower them, to get them going, and we ain’t done a good enough job.”

The Auburn staff didn’t fail their players on Saturday, helping them snap a six-game losing streak and bringing them within two wins of bowl eligibility with just two games remaining on their schedule.

Williams also showed gratitude to the Auburn staff, including Head Football Athletic Trainer Robbie Stewart, Associate Athletic Director Dana Marquez who coordinates equipment, and Football Sports Dietitian Allison Scherer.

“I want to thank the trainers, wow, Robbie, his staff, Dana, the equipment his staff, Alison, her staff, so many people that lay hands on these kids,” Williams said.

The interim head coach was brutally honest about his emotions taking the job and how he relied on his staff to help him every step of the way.

“Just truly want to thank them for just believing in a small town guy who was scared as a puppy last week, I’m just telling you, scared. And I let them know I was scared, like I need y’all, I’ve never done this, I’m gonna lean on y’all,” Williams admitted.

Williams’ emotion, honesty, and love for the Auburn program is refreshing and may be just what the Tigers needed in their final stretch of the season. Williams will lead Auburn in their final two games versus Western Kentucky and rival Alabama, and hopefully, he can continue to lean on his staff and secure buy-in from his players to finish the season strong.