This is an opinion column.

He didn’t recognize the number, wasn’t even sure he wanted to answer. Carnell (Cadillac) Williams wasn’t much sure of anything on that day.

A month prior, he was an assistant coach at his beloved Auburn, a home-grown Tiger who stirred the navy-and-orange faithful as an All-American running back and years later ignited a rousing revival during a four-game stretch as interim head coach at the end of what had been a moribund 2022 season.

Expected to just keep the seat warm for yet another uninspired hire, ‘Lac—as his friends call him—filled hearts and seats at Jordan-Hare with a passion that had students and their grandparents waving their arms in the air like they cared.

Auburn, of course, didn’t make the inspired hire, yet Williams returned, loyal to his core, as an assistant head coach and running backs coach for Hugh Freeze, as the most beloved member of the staff.

Then he wasn’t.

Suddenly, shockingly to most, Williams abruptly resigned in early January—”to pursue other opportunities,” is almost all he said in a statement that left so much unsaid.

Weeks later, Willaims, a man of deep faith, wasn’t sure he wanted to answer the phone, the number he did not recognize.

Wasn’t even sure if he wanted to coach again anytime soon.

A few minutes later came the text message, from the number he did not recognize: “This is Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders. Give me a call back when you get a chance.”

Williams, of course, called the number he had not recognized. Not long thereafter, the veteran of seven NFL seasons, joined Pierce, a nine-year NFL veteran, as the Raiders’ running backs coach—one of many ex-NFL under the first-year head coach.

“This is God-given,” he shared during a recent telephone conversation. “To be on a coaching staff with a lot of former players but also a head coach who believes in relationships, who believes in serving people in a genuine, authentic way, I couldn’t have written a better script.”

The young man who grew up in Gadsen is still getting acclimated to his glitzy new surroundings. He joined the Raiders coaches in Indianapolis last week for the NFL Combine. This week, his wife Evan and their two boys—eight and six—joined him in Las Vegas to look for a new home.

“That was the only negative about it,” Williams said. “I told my wife. ‘I’m so far away from home and had always been in the South. But just being part of this organization, A.P.’s staff, Raider Nation, everybody I’ve met, I mean, open arms: What can I do for you? How can I help you?

“They just go over and beyond to extend kindness and support. That’s super big, especially for me being a country boy from Alabama way out here in Las Vegas. Everybody is working together. It truly appears like a family atmosphere.”

Williams would not elaborate on the reasons for his abrupt departure. “To be honest with you, I just wanted to explore different opportunities and realign myself where God would place me for what he wanted for my life,” he said. “I always told my wife: As much as I love Auburn, I felt like in order for me to grow, to challenge myself, I would have to leave and step out on faith to see what’s out there where I could continue to grow as a person and work on me—work on who I am.

“I love Auburn without a shadow of doubt, but it was one of those situations in life when I felt there was more out there for me.”

I asked if he’d heard from Freeze since joining the Raiders.

“No, I haven’t.”

I asked if his relationship with Freeze could be—and this was my word—repaired.

“I am rooting for Coach Freeze, the program, along with those players,” he said.

“[Offensive coordinator and] running backs coach Derrick Nix is a guy I’m very familiar with, went to (Etowah) high school with, Williams added. “He made such an impact on my life [when I was] a ninth grader and he was a senior. I watched the guy get recruited, watched him work hard, he’s an outstanding person. I am rooting for the whole program.”

Williams leaned heavily on his faith in the darkest days after his departure. “God works in mysterious ways,” he said. “[Leaving] was a tough decision, but I became at peace with it.

“I was out of work for about a month,” he added. “To be honest with you, being around my two boys, taking them to school, having dinner with them, you forget those small things you don’t get to do [as a coach]. I was like, Man, this is what it’s all about, the family structure, my two boys.

“I honestly thought about taking a little time and really not try to jump into anything and just re-evaluate the things I want to. Then the call came.”

Williams would not rule out a return to college coaching. “I never say never, but I’m the type of person that really lives life in the present,” he said. “I try to be where my feet are. To have this opportunity to dive into the game on this level, working to enhance people’s lives, helping them compete at the ultimate level—it’s like returning to why I got into coaching.

“I believe the good Lord’s got me where I’m supposed to be.”

Though now a man in black, Williams will still wear orange and navy blue on Saturdays. Still wear the colors of the institution he infused with his full heart and soul. The colors of the football program he loves—and left.

“No doubt,” he said. “Auburn is and always will be a special part of my life.”

I’m a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, as well as the Lede. Tell me what you think at [email protected], and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj