Carnell Williams gets emotional after first win: Auburn ‘ain’t dead. We comin’
Auburn #Auburn
Carnell Williams didn’t let the magnitude of the moment pass him by.
Auburn’s 13-10 win over Texas A&M snapped the Tigers’ five-game losing stream and gave Cadillac his first win as the Auburn interim coach.
The emotion of the moment – and the win – was not lost on the former Auburn running back.
“My former teammates, my family, these players,” Williams said in the post-game interview on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium with former Auburn teammates Jason Campbell and Marcus McNeil looking on. “Look at this. Who don’t’ want to come to Auburn. Auburn football going to be OK. It ain’t dead. It ain’t dead. We comin’.”
How did he do it? How did he create a level of excitement around a program which just improved to 4-6?
He used words like serve, discipline, belief. He pointed to the players and staff as well as the people around the building. “The Auburn family,” he called it.
“These kids just need a little love,” Williams said. “They need to be loved on with the discipline. They need to know that it’s OK to make mistakes. The going to fall, but coaches will be there to pick them back up. Regardless, we got their back. They have to open their heart, and that’s what they did, to be honest with you.”
Williams made it a point to deflect the credit for the win.
“I’m so appreciative of this Auburn family,” he said. “These fans showed up and showed out. The energy. The atmosphere here. I’m just appreciative for this institution. I’m forever indebted to it. I love serving these young men. This coaching staff is bigger than me. It’s just not my show. We are together. We family. So, I’m excited.”
Jarquez Hunter and Tank Bigsby each rushed for 121 yards and Auburn held on for the win.
Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.
©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.