New Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco just met his new running backs coach Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams last week. He was a late addition to the Raiders staff, his hire announced by the team just four days before Telesco spoke to reporters in Indianapolis at the 2024 NFL Combine.

Williams resigned from Auburn on Jan. 11 after five seasons at the school where he’d become an icon. The news was sudden, an announcement coming after 9 p.m. on a Thursday and just over a month later, Williams accepted a new job in the NFL.

But the reason why the Raiders and new full-time head coach Antonio Pierce wanted Williams to join them came from his background as a player.

I think Antonio was looking for someone with a playing background, not necessarily a pro player but the fact that he’s a pro player I think helps in that room,” Telesco told AL.com on Tuesday at the NFL Combine. “He’s got some great experience at Auburn both as a position coach and as a head coach, that’s always nice to have. I haven’t gotten a chance to get to know him yet. But I love his background, I like what his resumé looks like.”

Williams’ playing days at Auburn began his legacy. With 3,831 career rushing yards, he is Auburn’s second-all-time leading rusher behind Bo Jackson.

Upon being selected in the top five of the 2005 NFL Draft, Williams played with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers from 2005-2010 and then spent the 2011 season with the St. Louis Rams.

After several coaching jobs between 2015 and 2018, Williams joined the Auburn staff in 2019 as the running backs coach.

In 2022, Williams took over as the interim head coach for the final four games of the season including an emotional November victory over Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Head coach Hugh Freeze retained Williams as the running backs coach and associate head coach when he was hired following the 2022 season.

After one season under Freeze, Williams resigned. The reason for his resignation is still unclear.

In his new job with the Raiders, Williams is taking over a running back room with uncertainty surrounding the free agency of starter Josh Jacobs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that the Raiders are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Jacobs, leaving him available to the open market.

Jacobs missed the final four games of the 2023 season with an injury, leaving an opportunity to second-year back Zamir White who rushed for 397 yards during the four games Jacob missed.

Yet regardless of the Raiders plans with Jacobs — and per Schefter, the Raiders do still plan an attempt to resign him — Telesco said Williams will be manning a running back room with several options all expected to play in a committee-type approach.

“But the way we’re going to play, the way a lot of teams play, is you need more than one back,” Telesco said. “I don’t really see a lead back type thing. You gotta have more than one. You’ll need to have two, you need to have three. They all have different roles with the team. The way this game is played, it’s hard to put that all in one person.”

Auburn replaced Williams with new offensive coordinator Derrick Nix, who is also in charge of the running backs. Nix had his first day of spring practice with the Tigers on Tuesday.

Auburn will return all four of its top running backs from 2023: Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston, Brian Battie and Jeremiah Cobb.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]