The outlook wasn’t always this rosy for the player nicknamed “Duke.” Friday night at a team function, he shared with teammates the story of his tough childhood.
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Several other Auburn seniors shared personal stories at the team function. But Williams’s tale left some of his teammates with a newfound respect for the receiver.
“His situation was powerful,” running back Peyton Barber told AL.com. “It kinda almost brought me to tears in a way.”
Williams talked about growing up in a rough neighborhood in Laplace, La., in the New Orleans metro area. Violence was common in the neighborhood; a 16-year-old cousin was killed.
While playing two years at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, family and friends urged him to stay away from his hometown. And after committing to play at LSU, less than an hour’s drive from home in Baton Rouge, he instead decided to attend Auburn, leaving Louisiana behind.
“I’ve always had respect for Duke and all the other players that shared their stories but that just made me have so much more respect for him,” Barber said.
Williams’ talk came one day after he finished serving a six-day team suspension. Coach Gus Malzahn told AL.com the suspension came as the result of a “discipline issue.”
Williams missed Auburn’s trip to the Outback Bowl last season after being suspended for a violation of team rules.
