The Carolina Panthers may have decided last week that they are going to release DeAngelo Williams, but the veteran running back’s relationship with the organization went stale almost a year ago.
During an interview with WBTV’s Molly Grantham on Monday, Williams revealed that he was hurt by the lack of support the Panthers gave him when his mother lost her battle with breast cancer last May.
Williams’ mother, Sandra Hill, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. The cancer returned in 2010, and she passed away last year. Williams is one of the people who worked with the NFL to make pink the color of the month in October, and he painted his toenails pink and dyed his hair the same color during a game last season. The Panthers were supportive along the way, but Williams was disappointed with the turnout at his mother’s funeral.
“Nobody came to the funeral,” Williams told Grantham. “The owner didn’t reach out. He didn’t say anything. Never talked to me. Nobody upstairs ever talked to me. The only two people who ever said anything to me was Coach Rivera and Dave Gettleman. Everybody else was… they were busy because it was the draft.
“I was upset with Carolina, because the last five or six years during October, [my mom] was celebrated, but then when she was no longer here — let’s move on. [I was] very disappointed and somewhat angry. It stung to know that a place of business that you’ve worked for, you’ve bled, you’ve played through injuries, you’ve done everything you possibly can for this organization to be successful, and then upon your darkest hour, they let you, handle it by yourself.”
Williams said Greg Hardy was the only one of his teammates who made the trip to Arkansas to pay his respects. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk noted, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson wrote a letter to Williams. The 31-year-old clearly did not feel it was enough. Williams’ relationship with the Panthers was tense during the 2014 season, which is why he barely spoke to the media.
As for football, an oft-injured 31-year-old running back could have trouble finding work next season. Don’t be stunned if Williams ends up retiring.
