Cornelius Williams (American football) explained

Cornelius Williams
Current Title:Wide receivers coach
Current Team:Middle Tennessee
Current Conference:CUSA
Birth Date:6 September 1987
Birth Place:Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Player Years1:2006–2009
Player Team1:Troy
Player Positions:Wide receiver
Coach Years1:2010
Coach Team1:South Alabama (GA)
Coach Years2:2011
Coach Team2:Murray State (WR)
Coach Years3:2012
Coach Team3:North Alabama (WR)
Coach Years4:2013
Coach Team4:Jacksonville State (WR)
Coach Years5:2014
Coach Team5:UAB (WR)
Coach Years6:2015–2020
Coach Team6:Troy (WR)
Coach Years7:2021
Coach Team7:Auburn (WR)
Coach Years8:2022
Coach Team8:Alabama (offensive analyst)
Coach Years9:2023
Coach Team9:New Mexico (WR)
Coach Years10:2024–present
Coach Team10:Middle Tennessee (WR)

Cornelius Terrell Williams (born September 6, 1987) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.

Early life and high school

Cornelius Terrell Williams was born on September 6, 1987, to Jeff and Wanda Singer.[1] Williams was born in Mobile, Alabama but later moved to the city of Hoover inside the metropolitan area of Birmingham, Alabama.[2] [3]

After playing football at Simmons Middle School, Williams attended Hoover High School and played football there under head coach Rush Propst. As a freshman, Williams played quarterback and wide receiver for the junior varsity football team.[4] Williams joined the varsity football team as a sophomore, in which year he had 49 catches for 565 yards and 9 touchdowns from quarterback John Parker Wilson. In Williams' junior year, he caught 55 passes with 11 touchdowns, helping Hoover to a 15–0 record.[5] During his senior year, Williams, along with the Hoover High School football team, was featured on the MTV reality show Two-A-Days.[6] Midway through the season, quarterback Ross Wilson suffered a concussion, and Williams played quarterback until Wilson returned from injury. Williams ultimately finished the season with high school career-highs, including 77 catches, 1,299 receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns.[7] Additionally, Williams was named an all-star by the ASWA[8] and played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.[9] During his time at Hoover High School, Hoover won the state championship every year Williams was there.[10]

College career

Williams chose to attend Troy University to play football in college.[11] In his freshman year, Williams recorded 6 catches for 32 yards. Williams saw an increase in those statistics his sophomore year, with 19 catches, 217 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The next year, Williams' catches and receiving yards dropped to 18 and 174, but he did set a career-high with 3 touchdowns. In his senior year, Williams set a career-high with 20 catches and 341 yards, along with 2 touchdowns.[12] [13]

Coaching career

After graduating from Troy with a degree in sport and fitness management, Williams became a graduate assistant for South Alabama in 2010. The next year, Williams received his first wide receiver coaching job with Murray State. Over the next three years, Williams served as the wide receivers coach at North Alabama, Jacksonville State, and UAB.[14] [15] Following the folding of the UAB football team after the 2014 season, Williams joined his alma mater, Troy, as a wide receivers coach in 2015.[16] Williams served in that role until 2021 when he was hired as the wide receivers coach for the Auburn Tigers football team.[17] [18] [19] However, Williams was fired after only four games in the 2021 season,[20] [21] [22] with head coach Bryan Harsin citing that "a change needed to be made."[23] [24] Williams was hired as an offensive analyst the next season by the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.[25] [26] The next year, Williams returned to the role of wide receivers coach at New Mexico.[27] [28] In 2024, Williams became the wide receivers coach for Middle Tennessee.[29]

Personal life

Williams is married to Kiley Williams (formerly Miller), and has three children: Ellis, Wynn, and Maverick.[30]

Notes and References

  1. News: Cornelius Williams. Troy Trojans. May 20, 2024.
  2. Web site: King. Nathan. April 6, 2021. Cornelius Williams brings extensive in-state experience to Auburn. May 20, 2024. 247 Sports.
  3. Web site: Vitale. Josh. April 9, 2021. Wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams brings the right experience to Auburn. May 20, 2024. Delco Times.
  4. Web site: October 26, 2019. Words of Wood - Cornelius Williams. May 20, 2024. Hoover High Athletics.
  5. Web site: August 15, 2005. Cornelius Williams. May 20, 2024. Tuscaloosa News.
  6. Web site: Ferguson. Justin. January 25, 2021. An Introduction to Cornelius Williams. May 20, 2024. The Auburn Observer.
  7. Web site: Cornelius Williams. May 20, 2024. Alabama High School Football Historical Society.
  8. Web site: December 17, 2005. ASWA names All-State, Super 12 team. May 20, 2024. Rivals.
  9. Web site: Johnson. Jon. July 21, 2021. Cornelius Williams, right at home at Auburn, finally teaming up with Etheridge. May 20, 2024. Opelika-Auburn News.
  10. Web site: December 3, 2005. Hoover repeats in 6A; Clay County wins in 2A. May 20, 2024. Tuscaloosa News.
  11. Web site: Rapoport. Ian. October 17, 2008. 'Two-A-Days' stars take divergent paths. May 20, 2024. ESPN.
  12. Web site: Cornelius Williams. May 20, 2024. ESPN.
  13. Web site: Johnson. Jon. July 20, 2021. Former Troy star Williams right at home on Auburn staff. May 20, 2024. Dothan Eagle.
  14. Web site: Han. Gianna. April 12, 2021. How Cornelius Williams wove his way through Alabama to Auburn. May 20, 2024. AL.com.
  15. Web site: Champlin. Drew. February 18, 2024. UAB formally announces hires of assistant football coaches Cornelius Williams, Mike Bennefield. May 20, 2024. AL.com.
  16. Web site: Birdsong. Nick. December 12, 2024. Former UAB assistant Cornelius Williams hired at Troy after Blazers' football program shutdown. May 20, 2024. AL.com.
  17. Web site: Vitale. Josh. January 16, 2021. Auburn football hires Troy's Cornelius Williams as wide receivers coach. May 20, 2024. Montgomery Advertiser.
  18. Web site: April 7, 2021. Alabama native Cornelius Williams excited for chance to coach Auburn football. May 20, 2024. Montgomery Advertiser.
  19. Web site: Hill. Jordan. April 6, 2021. Auburn receivers coach Cornelius Williams eager to make most of opportunity. May 20, 2024. Dothan Eagle.
  20. Web site: Ubben. David. September 26, 2021. Auburn fires first-year wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams. May 20, 2024. The Athletic.
  21. Web site: Green. Tom. September 26, 2021. Auburn fires wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams after 4 games. May 20, 2024. AL.com.
  22. Web site: Hill. Jordan. September 26, 2021. Auburn fires wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams after four games. May 20, 2024. Dothan Eagle.
  23. Web site: Green. Tom. September 27, 2021. Bryan Harsin: Firing receivers coach Cornelius Williams ‘not ideal’ but needed to be done. May 20, 2024. AL.com.
  24. Web site: Hill. Jordan. September 27, 2021. Bryan Harsin addresses WRs coach Cornelius Williams' dismissal, what's next for position. May 20, 2024. Opelika-Auburn News.
  25. Web site: Casagrande. Michael. March 3, 2022. Alabama hires former Auburn WR coach for analyst role. May 20, 2024. AL.com.
  26. Web site: Tsoukalas. Tony. March 3, 2022. Alabama Adds New Analysts Todd Grantham, Cornelius Williams to Staff Directory. May 20, 2024. Sports Illustrated.
  27. Web site: Backus. Will. January 5, 2023. New Mexico hiring Cornelius Williams as WRs coach: Alabama analyst, ex-Auburn assistant reportedly to Lobos. May 20, 2024. 247 Sports.
  28. Web site: Porter. Charlie. January 5, 2023. Alabama analyst reportedly lands WR coach job at New Mexico State. May 20, 2024. 247 Sports.
  29. Web site: Carpenter. Michael. December 29, 2023. Cornelius Williams Named as MTSU Receivers Coach. May 20, 2024. Cheatham County Source.
  30. Web site: December 21, 2023. Mason names Williams as receivers coach. May 20, 2024. Go Blue Raiders.