Cadillac Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cadillac Williams

Williams with the Auburn Tigers in 2004
No. 24,33
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1982-04-21) April 21, 1982 (age 43) Gadsden, Alabama, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:	Etowah (Attalla, Alabama)
College:	Auburn (2001–2004)
NFL Draft:	2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
As player:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005–2010) St. Louis Rams (2011)
As coach:
Henderson State (2015) Running backs coach West Georgia (2016) Graduate assistant IMG Academy (FL) (2017) Running backs coach Birmingham Iron (2018) Running backs coach Auburn (2019–2022) Running backs coach Auburn (2022) Interim head coach Auburn (2023) Associate head coach & running backs coach Las Vegas Raiders (2024) Running backs coach
Career highlights and awards
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2005) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2005) First-team All-American (2004) SEC Special Teams Player of the Year (2004) 2× First-team All-SEC (2003, 2004)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 1,055 Rushing yards: 4,038 Rushing touchdowns: 21 Receptions: 148 Receiving yards: 1,002 Receiving touchdowns: 4
Head coaching record
Regular season:	2–2 (.500) (NCAA)
Player stats at PFR

Carnell Lamar "Cadillac" Williams (born April 21, 1982) is an American football coach and former running back. He recently coached running backs for the Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League (NFL). Before that, he was a running backs coach at Auburn University from 2019 to 2023. In 2022, he also served as Auburn's interim head coach, becoming the first African American to hold that role there.

Williams played college football for the Auburn Tigers. He set a school record for career rushing touchdowns. In 2004, he helped his team have a perfect season and was named an All-American. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Williams in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for the St. Louis Rams. In 2005, Williams earned the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

College Football Journey

Williams went to Auburn University after finishing high school in Attalla, Alabama. A TV sportscaster gave him the nickname "Cadillac." This was because of his smooth and powerful running style on the field. The name stuck with him.

Starting Strong at Auburn

Williams began playing for Auburn in 2001 as a freshman. He was the third-string running back. In his eighth game, he showed off his amazing talent against the University of Arkansas. He gained 177 yards, and after this game, he became the starting running back. In the next game, against the University of Georgia, he helped Auburn win 24–17. He ran for 167 yards and scored two touchdowns, including the winning one. Later that season, he broke his collar bone during a game against the University of Alabama and missed the rest of the year. As a freshman, Williams played in nine games, rushing for 614 yards and six touchdowns.

Overcoming Injuries

The 2002 season started well for Williams, but it also ended early. He broke his lower left leg bone against Florida. This injury caused him to miss the last six games. Before his injury, he had rushed for 745 yards and 10 touchdowns in just seven games.

In 2003, Williams was expected to share playing time with Ronnie Brown. However, Brown got injured early in the season. This left Williams as the main running back. He had a fantastic season, setting an Auburn record with 17 touchdowns. He also gained a career-high 1,307 rushing yards. A highlight was his 80-yard touchdown run against Alabama on the very first play. This season proved he could stay healthy and play at a high level.

Senior Year Success

Williams decided to play his senior year in 2004. This was a great choice! He, along with quarterback Jason Campbell and Ronnie Brown, led the Tigers to a perfect 13–0 season. They won the SEC Championship and the Sugar Bowl. Williams earned All-American honors. He was also named to the All-SEC first-team as both a running back and a return specialist. He led the team with 1,165 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He also threw one touchdown pass against Georgia.

Williams finished his college career with 3,831 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns. He broke Joe Cribbs' record for most rushing attempts and Bo Jackson's record for most touchdowns at Auburn. He also ranks second in school history for total rushing yards and all-purpose yards. Williams earned nine SEC Player of the Week awards, which is the most in conference history. He studied sociology at Auburn and completed his degree in 2014.

Williams evades a tackler at Auburn.

College Statistics

Here are Williams' college football statistics:

Professional Football Career

Williams was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the fifth pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft. He signed a five-year contract.

Rookie Year Success

Many experts believed Williams would have a big impact in the 2005 NFL season. He rushed for 434 yards in his first three weeks. This set records for a rookie running back, including the most consecutive 100-yard games (three). He was named rookie of the week for the first three weeks and rookie of the month for September. His shoes and gloves from week three were even sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame!

Later in his rookie season, Williams dealt with ankle and foot injuries. However, he still had six games where he rushed for over 100 yards. He led all rookies with 1,178 rushing yards and finished second in rushing touchdowns with six. On January 4, 2006, Williams received the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Dealing with Injuries

In October 2007, Williams suffered a serious knee injury that ended his season. Doctors were unsure if he would fully recover. However, Williams was determined to play again in 2008. He returned to play in November 2008, 14 months after his injury. He scored his first touchdown since his return on November 30. Sadly, in the final game of the season on December 28, he tore a different part of his other knee.

This second injury was not as bad as the first. Williams worked hard through rehab to get back on the field. He returned for the 2009 season and became the first NFL player to come back from tears in both knee tendons. In December 2009, he had his first 100-yard rushing game in two seasons. He finished the year with 823 rushing yards, his second-highest NFL total. He was a strong candidate for the National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award, finishing second in votes.

In the 2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, a new rookie running back, LeGarrette Blount, emerged. Williams became mainly a third-down running back, used for catching passes. He had 46 receptions for 355 yards and one touchdown. This touchdown was a game-winning catch with only ten seconds left against the St. Louis Rams. He helped his team achieve a 10–6 record. After the 2010 season, Williams became a free agent.

Time with the St. Louis Rams

On August 3, 2011, Williams signed with the St. Louis Rams. He played as a backup to Steven Jackson. In the first game of the 2011 season, Williams rushed for 91 yards. He continued to run effectively throughout the year. He finished the season with 361 rushing yards and one touchdown.

NFL Career Statistics

Here are Williams' professional football statistics:

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Williams became a football coach.

Early Coaching Roles

He worked as an offensive graduate assistant at the University of West Georgia in 2016. Later, he coached running backs for the IMG White football team at IMG Academy in Florida. In 2018, Williams became the running backs coach for the Birmingham Iron in a league called the Alliance of American Football.

Coaching at Auburn

On January 23, 2019, Williams was hired as the running backs coach at Auburn University. He worked under head coach Gus Malzahn. Even when Malzahn was fired in 2020, the new head coach, Bryan Harsin, kept Williams on staff.

On October 31, 2022, Harsin was fired, and Williams was named the interim head coach for Auburn. On November 12, 2022, Williams won his first game as a head coach, a 13–10 victory over Texas A&M. He finished the 2022 regular season with a 2–2 record as interim head coach. When Hugh Freeze became the permanent head coach on November 28, Williams stayed on as an assistant. Williams left Auburn after the 2023 season.

Coaching the Las Vegas Raiders

On February 23, 2024, Williams was hired by the Las Vegas Raiders as their running backs coach under head coach Antonio Pierce. He was dismissed by the Raiders on February 4, 2025.

Head Coaching Record

College

Personal Life

Williams is a Christian. He is married and has two sons.